I'm sitting in Newark airport, waiting for my flight out. We're off this Shabbos, which works out very well, because I have a date tonight at my destination. Thankfully, I'm feeling much better, albeit not quite myself yet...
Today's discussion is to recount a time when we saved someone's life, or helped somebody.
Truth be told, this makes me a little uncomfortable. All the other topics so far have dealt with recognizing the good in others, whereas this one focus exclusively on one's self. Still...
I was on my way to night seder. It was 11th grade, and I was late. It was very cold outside, so I had my collar up, a knit cap on over my headphones, and a huge scarf wrapped around my face. I could see in my periphery that there was someone ahead of me, about 15 feet or so, but because of the wind, I had my head down.
Suddenly - through my very loud playing music - I hear an ear splitting screech. I look up, and it doesn't register right away what I'm seeing. What I originally thought was a guy hanging out the passenger side of an extremely fast moving car turned out to be a pedestrian rolling up the hood, over the roof, and down off the trunk onto the ground. The car never slowed down, but continued laying rubber as it sped away.
A hit and run.
I ran over to the guy, and as I got closer, my heart skipped a beat: it was a guy from my yeshiva. As I got closer, I recognized him. He was a grade younger than me; he'd just come that year, and he was a very sweet guy. I get to him, and he's knocked out. Out of the corner of my eye, I see people running over. Some lady pulled into the parking lot across the street, and as she came running over, she tripped and fell. Another guy quickly pulled over to the side and hopped out. I screamed at him to call 911. Everything was so clear, like it was in high definition.
The guy who got hit came to just as I knelt by him. Disoriented, he didn't even realize I was there. He started screaming for help, struggling to get up, freaking out. I saw his pupils were dilated; he probably had a concussion.
I have very minimal first aid training, but I know that when there's an accident, you have to consider the possibilty of neck/spinal trauma, and ensure that the victim stays immobile. This guy has no clue that any of us are standing there, and much as I try to talk to him, nothing is getting through. Like I said, minimal training, but I've seen movies, and people can go into shock. I covered him with my coat, and basically crossed my arms across his chest with my thumbs out, forcing him - gently - to remain still until the ambulance came.
After all the excitement, I had to take a phone call from the hospital to answer the doctor's questions about symptoms the guy showed immediately after the accident.
When the guy came back to yeshiva a week later, he wanted to buy me something, as a "thank you" for saving his life.
I don't think I saved his life, but I was glad to help...
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6 comments:
wow.
completely off topic i have some sites i want to share with you from some of my rebbim.
one is from my old camp rabbi which his wife who also gave shiurim reminded me that one summer i wore the same bart simpson shirt straight through the whole month .his site is real torah
http://www.realtorah.com/
and one site that my rosh yeshiva created which might be good for any of you who work or go to school and have difficulty getting to a shiur http://info.webyeshiva.org/
on topic
saving a life is much better than taking one, and even though they deserved it its still a mark of bad karma. but i was only on the logistical and intellegence side of those things and never did it myself
Wow.
Isn’t it the most amazing thrill to save somebody? To go to sleep knowing that you made an actual, physical, right here right now difference in someone’s life. I find it to be kind of validating. For me, it’s like a drug. When I’m feeling down I go out and save people. It gives me a high. And for those of you who think it makes you egotistic, well, you’re right, until you lose someone you’re trying to save. Then you realize that your just one of g-ds many tools. And yes, even after you realize that, it’s still a thrill.
I'm so glad that you were there to help him, and proud to call you a fellow jblogger.
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