My Friends,
Yesterday was an interesting day for a few reasons but one particularly interesting happening was that I witnessed someone getting hit by a car. Rather I witnessed the aftermath of someone getting hit by a car, which in some ways is worse. Like I said, I didn't actually see dude get hit by a car, instead I was walking north on James St. S when my reverie was interrupted by a woman yelling at a car "I SAW YOU! YOU HIT HIM! STOP! YOU HIT THAT MAN!"
The car, which was stopped in the middle of the intersection as she yelled, completed its turn and pulled over. A well-dressed young man stepped out and ran over to the man he allegedly had just hit. The man was getting up kind of wobbly and mercifully the shrewish woman had ceased her rantings.
I didn't see anyone in a rush to dial 911 so I did and just mentioned that dude had gotten hit by a car and that he was on the other side of the road so I couldn't tell if he was badly damaged. In order to help the dispatcher out some, I walked over to the guy and confirmed that he was wiping some blood from his face but that I didn't want to crowd him because he already had some people around him, not least of which the concerned motorist who allegedly hit him.
As I approached to get a closer look for the sake of 911 the shrewish woman yelled to me "Did you see what happened?" I looked at her with more disdain than was probably necessary and said "no." I explained to 911 that I wasn't an eyewitness and I was looking to be on my way so I got off the phone with them and continued on my journey. So ended my involvement in said matter.
Now you have probably noticed my harsh sentiments toward the lady who originally caught my attention with her rantings. What pissed me off about her was that she seemed to me like a no-account person who found herself in a position to be important for one day and seized upon it. She seemed to be revelling in her importance and it would not surprise me if she recounted her role in this minor affair til her last days. Like people who clamor for harsh, inhumane punishments for criminals, she seemed more interested in pointing out the guilt of the motorist than attending to the injured party (interestingly enough the person who seemed most concerned for the injured party was the motorist, although I concede that self-preservation may have been a factor here).
I was reminded of the story of Orestes, son of Agamemnon, who killed his mother and uncle, after they had killed his father upon his return from the Trojan War. Until he was cleared by the Gods, Orestes was tormented by the brass-clawed Furies who taunted him pointing out his guilt (Matricide) unyieldingly while clawed at him. This woman was a Fury. Her sole purpose seemed to be tormenting the "guilty party" and to me there's no merit in that because it does nothing to make things better.
I don't know the outcome of the accident/investigation but my primary hope is that the injured party had no severe injuries and if he did that they will be addressed. My secondary hope is that the motorist, probably someone who just made a mistake rather than a malicious misanthrope, does not have egregious legal fees and life disturbances to deal with on account of one lapse in judgement. My third hope, and it is almost foolish to hope for given how unlikely it seems, is that the woman who drew my attention to the occurrence realizes that pointing out guilt and blame and ostracizing offenders does nothing to make the world a better place. Like I said, I won't hold my breath on that last one.
Stay Thirsty,
-Andre Guantanamo
Yesterday was an interesting day for a few reasons but one particularly interesting happening was that I witnessed someone getting hit by a car. Rather I witnessed the aftermath of someone getting hit by a car, which in some ways is worse. Like I said, I didn't actually see dude get hit by a car, instead I was walking north on James St. S when my reverie was interrupted by a woman yelling at a car "I SAW YOU! YOU HIT HIM! STOP! YOU HIT THAT MAN!"
The car, which was stopped in the middle of the intersection as she yelled, completed its turn and pulled over. A well-dressed young man stepped out and ran over to the man he allegedly had just hit. The man was getting up kind of wobbly and mercifully the shrewish woman had ceased her rantings.
I didn't see anyone in a rush to dial 911 so I did and just mentioned that dude had gotten hit by a car and that he was on the other side of the road so I couldn't tell if he was badly damaged. In order to help the dispatcher out some, I walked over to the guy and confirmed that he was wiping some blood from his face but that I didn't want to crowd him because he already had some people around him, not least of which the concerned motorist who allegedly hit him.
As I approached to get a closer look for the sake of 911 the shrewish woman yelled to me "Did you see what happened?" I looked at her with more disdain than was probably necessary and said "no." I explained to 911 that I wasn't an eyewitness and I was looking to be on my way so I got off the phone with them and continued on my journey. So ended my involvement in said matter.
Now you have probably noticed my harsh sentiments toward the lady who originally caught my attention with her rantings. What pissed me off about her was that she seemed to me like a no-account person who found herself in a position to be important for one day and seized upon it. She seemed to be revelling in her importance and it would not surprise me if she recounted her role in this minor affair til her last days. Like people who clamor for harsh, inhumane punishments for criminals, she seemed more interested in pointing out the guilt of the motorist than attending to the injured party (interestingly enough the person who seemed most concerned for the injured party was the motorist, although I concede that self-preservation may have been a factor here).
I was reminded of the story of Orestes, son of Agamemnon, who killed his mother and uncle, after they had killed his father upon his return from the Trojan War. Until he was cleared by the Gods, Orestes was tormented by the brass-clawed Furies who taunted him pointing out his guilt (Matricide) unyieldingly while clawed at him. This woman was a Fury. Her sole purpose seemed to be tormenting the "guilty party" and to me there's no merit in that because it does nothing to make things better.
I don't know the outcome of the accident/investigation but my primary hope is that the injured party had no severe injuries and if he did that they will be addressed. My secondary hope is that the motorist, probably someone who just made a mistake rather than a malicious misanthrope, does not have egregious legal fees and life disturbances to deal with on account of one lapse in judgement. My third hope, and it is almost foolish to hope for given how unlikely it seems, is that the woman who drew my attention to the occurrence realizes that pointing out guilt and blame and ostracizing offenders does nothing to make the world a better place. Like I said, I won't hold my breath on that last one.
Stay Thirsty,
-Andre Guantanamo
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