So… the election was not the most exciting thing that happened to me today… In fact my day began with much more excitement than I had originally expected. I may have even saved a life… At least that’s what it felt like.
On my hunt for food, after waking, stashing, and travelling, I exited the Gold line at Aliso Station and this guy, who is completely non-responsive, is leaning head-first into the fair machine. His legs are shaking slightly, his arms dangling like wet angel-haired noodles, but he doesn’t say a word. I was concerned so I called the MTA and told them what was going on… The lethargic voice on the other end of the call box seemed like this type situation was a part of his regular routine and that the man was now in his full view via… satellite cameras or whatever hi-tech thingy the voices from above use these days to spy on us regular folks… like being regular isn’t just enough. Anyway so I walk on… dude’s not responding, but I’m concerned mixed with hungry.
I stop an oncoming passenger and let him know about the call and that it’s just a weird situation.
However, I keep my eye on the guy and can’t seem to leave the train station when BOOM! Dude falls straight back and OUT! Both I and the other passenger run towards the guy who’s got a problem we can’t really solve and I immediately go into 10 years of CPR training mode… (just one of the many benefits of working for non-profits most my life, helping people in need meant being prepared for the worst to happen). He’s breathing is shallow. There’s no blood. His eyes are glazed over, but he’s not drugged-looking… and he’s still not responding. After about 5 minutes of checking him over and talking it over with passengers who are now concerned the voice comes back and asks me to call them using the voice box again. GREAT! An ambulance is on its way, for what seems like forever, when dude is still not responding and slowed his breathing for a few seconds. It was unnerving, but I kept tapping him and talking to him…telling him to keep breathing and asking him other random questions to make sure he didn’t totally lose consciousness.
What seemed like a decade later we heard the sirens. Dude tried to lift his head a few times, while looking at me like he had found heaven… I just didn’t know what to do except to tell him that the EMTs were coming and that he should stay still. His name was on the card. He had some disability it seems, maybe he was deaf. Maybe he had a diabetic episode or slight seizure…
By the time the EMTs came I booked out of there, but ran back to find out who this man was and if they knew what his problem was for future references. Large cities are full of large problems. This situation definitely drew me closer to Los Angeles in all of its glory… I will never forget how Election Day started for me…
In a few moments we all will begin to see how it will end… Hopefully if I or someone I love or even didn’t love were in a situation where they needed someone to think quickly and provide help… they would…
Let’s not get stuck in analysis paralysis..of our only microscopic worlds… let’s get over our differences… let’s help and lend a hand to one another.
I won't deny that it felt completely amazing to help out. I felt like I'd done something really special. #Epic
