One low-life helping out another

[Strat]

This story happened last Friday (May 20).

Just past midnight I was heading home, intoxicated. I was in a residential neighborhood when I saw a man lying on his back, in the grass next to the sidewalk. The road is a major road because it is a straight shot that connects two roads that can get you anywhere in the beaches area where I live. God only knows how many people passed by him by the time I arrived.

I really, really didn't want to get involved but I had to. I was just thinking thoughts of "Really? Me? Of course..." I wasn't nervous, I just didn't want the cops to get involved. I know medical basics (Red Cross certified) and I'm not afraid of lunatics because half of my friends are crazy. I know how to handle drunks, violence, and people that can't handle their drugs. I can look at someone and I'll know exactly what drug they've taken. So, unfortunately, I knew nobody was better suited to take care of this guy than me.

So I walk up to him and kneel beside him. The first thing I did was check for his pulse by his carotid artery. As soon as he felt my hand by his neck he gave a drunken wriggle and moan. I patted his chest and said, "You're alright bud. Can you hear me?" He didn't respond. "Of course you can't hear me..."

I patted his chest a few more times and tried to get a response but he wouldn't say anything. I realized he was holding his cell phone. That poor bastard, he was so close to getting a friend to pick him up before he collapsed. I grabbed his phone out of his hand so I could use it to call one of his friends. I came to realize his phone was like mine, it doesn't have buttons, it's a touch screen. Though he had a different model, I was drunk, and there was no way I could figure it out in my condition.

So there I am, drunk, leaning over another drunk, trying to save the day. I'm tapping away at his phone trying to figure it out with very little luck. Even though he isn't responding I'm talking to him. I'm a humble guy but at that time I said to him, "You're so f-- lucky I'm a cool dude, you don't even know and probably won't remember." I also asked him if he believed in God and he actually responded a moaning "No" and I said, "Yeah me neither." That's not necessarily true, but that's another story.

I think I was at his text messaging screen when I found one of his contacts names. "Do you know ____?" He replied with a moaning, "yeaaaah." I told him I was going to call him to come pick his sorry ass up. I couldn't figure out how to get his phone to dial, or find the contact info so that I could dial it with my phone.

As I'm tapping away, trying to figure this out he amazingly wakes up. He gets to his feet and stands there, wobbly, rubbing his face.

"You alright dude?"
"Yeah, I think so... What's going on?" Slowly, his brain was starting to take in the world around him and connect the dots.
"Ughhh, I guess you got drunk and passed out. I saw you lying there. You alright? You need me to call someone?"
He points west and says, "No thanks. My girlfriend's house is just down there. Thanks though I really appreciate it."
"Yeah no problem, if you see me passed out, help me out."

I gave him his phone and off he went. I've told my friends this story and the joke is that at the time of me retelling this story, he is as well with his friends.

[Carmody]

I come fro a place where people ~HAVE TO~ help one another. If one should pass out on the way home (in about 50% of the year) they simply --die.

[astrid]

Good for you stopping by, so may don't.

I was in a taxi once, and saw a guy passed out in an alley, while waiting at the lights.
It was broad day light.

I asked the taxi driver to to call an ambulance, he was reluctant but agreed.
There is a lot of crime and drugs here, so i figured that if it was an overdose, he might not have a lot of time.
The ambulance station was very close by, so he would get attended too faster than me trying to figure out how to help him.

But i couldn't do nothing......

[loveandgratitude]

KARMIC DUTY CALLS...........you know when it is your turn. You also know when you cannot walk away.

It is like a buzzer goes off..........YOUR TURN......buzz.....YOUR TURN

To be human means humane which means KINDNESS. To be truly human means to be truely KIND. Today, lets us all show a little more KINDNESS


TODAY DO RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

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[transitionalman]

That was very nice of you to stop and help him. All it takes is something as simple as this that will change the world.

[Decibellistics]

Killer. I can relate. You're a kind man.

[DoubleHelix]

Strat your a stand up bloke mate! Every good story has a happy ending.. fortunately for that guy he came to his senses before things got pear-shaped. Any number of things could of happened to him.. he could of got mugged or even worse he could of choked on his own vomit. I'm sure your intervention may not seem like much to some, but you definitely did the right thing buddy!



"Yeah no problem, if you see me passed out, help me out."


You never know right.. maybe one time when your down at the wet mess tiltin' a few too many it may be your turn to catch sum Z's on the grass bed! :P
Chances are you'd be reacquainted with your old friend - stranger things have happened.

What goes around comes around.

[Mike Gorman]

You are a true Gentleman sir...really this kind of act is a true indication of humanity-I had a similar event
happen when I was living in the UK, Leicester city, I happened across an older man, obviously the worse for drink, and
an 'ill-favoured' look-I thought, 'there but for some great good luck go I'- anyway he was comatose on the pavement,
I helped him up and asked him where he wanted to go, we were outside the main railway station, turned out he was supposed to
be going to Birmingham-a 15 pound train ride-I took him to the station bought his ticket and pushed him on the train-he was
appreciative in his own way. People have acted kindly towards me, it is a wonderful thing-priceless.

[Cigan Mojia]

Granted, much of my youth was spent in various forms of indoctrination, however, this reminds me of my GirlScout days. Every meeting day we would wear an owl... the symbolism of which I am sure there is much... point being, we would wear the pin upside down until we preformed a good deed. Then at the meeting we would share these good deeds, get a round of applause and have the owl turned right side up.

Every time I have an opportunity to turn my owl Up... I take it.