Because a Life is Valuable

Is it a passion for life? Is it simply caring? Has it been lost? Or has it become blind?

Sunday afternoon, my mother and I were driving out to a local market, when I noticed a young guy standing on the edge of the over pass above us. It instantly stilled my breath. That stretch of highway has no shoulder, it is simply a four lane high way separated in the middle by a barrier and the side of the bridge on either side. We immediately pulled over and I called 911.

After speaking with the operator she told us we could drive on. But it didn’t seem right. So we waited for the cops to arrive. We prayed for his safety and peace of mind. Every now and then he would swing his arms out in front of himself, then drop them and wipe his face. We watched At least 100 cars pass this young man, and not one stopped. How many passed prior to our stopping and calling for help?

You might say, maybe he was out for a stroll or you were responding off of an adrenaline rush. Yes, we sure had adrenaline coursing through our bodies, but nobody would just stand out there, up on the very edge of the wall, in 28 degree weather with wind gusting up to 30 miles per hour. 

So, there we were sitting in the car, waiting and waiting for the cops to arrive. We wanted to help somehow, but we weren’t sure about walking out to him. Holding our breath every time he swung his arms out in front of him, finally, a cop arrived. He walked out to talk to the young man, but they didn’t move. Then another cop arrived, one standing on either side. After a few moments more, the man stepped down from the top of the wall and they walked to the side of the bridge.  Finally, we could breath again… sort of. The adrenaline was so high, we started shaking, ya know that limp my legs wont work feeling.

We sat on the side of the road for a total of 15 minutes from the time we first saw him till they walked off the bridge. No one else stopped. While I was on the phone with emergency personal, no one else had called the gentleman in. Has our world really become so blind? Or perhaps numb? The human life is still far more important than what is for dinner, or getting to a friends house, or what’s on tv. We have to be there for each other, we need to care.  My hope is this young man is getting help for whatever is going on.