Scanlyze

There’s people who are blind, and then those that just can’t see

There’s people who are blind, and then those that just can’t see.

Today I was taking the T (metro) to Harvard Square from Davis Square.

I was waiting for the next subway. about 30 feet away from me I could see a man shuffling his feet in tiny steps, looking disoriented this way and that, like Brownian motion, and saying in a soft voice, “Excuse me. Excuse me.” He had dark black sunglasses on. Overcoat, dark pants, flannel shirt I think. I looked at him and saw, he is blind. He got disoriented. He’s shuffling because he’s afraid of falling onto the tracks and the third rail and getting fried.

All the people near him ignored him. It was like they could neither see nor hear him.

I got up and walked over towards him. I said to him from the middle of the platform in a loud voice,

Do you need some help sir?

Soft voice. Yes.

Walking towards him.

Loud voice. What’s the problem?

I walk over to him.

I need to find the escalator.

Take my arm. Its right over here.

We walk arm-in-arm to the escalator.

Soft voice. Thank you. thank you. thank you.

It’s nothing, you would do the same for me. You can’t see it but I’m walking with a cane. You’re at Davis at the bottom of the up escalator. Do you know how to get out from here? His hand to the moving escalator railing.

Yes, yes. thank you. thank you.

I could not see his eyes but there were tears in his voice.

god bless you sir. merry christmas.

soft voice. merry christmas.

I walked back to the people who pretended not to see him, not to hear him.

I said in my not indoor voice, that man you ignored? That man asking for help? that was a BLIND MAN who needed help to get to the stairs. How do you feel?

Looking away, clutching pocketbooks.

I refrained from saying what was in my heart, which was a lecture about the Good Samaritan, because it wouldn’t be right to bully them and it isn’t right to call attention to one’s own “good deeds” which weren’t good or exceptional in any sane world, but merely human.

God how much longer must I carry these people. Some times I feel that I can’t stand it. Give me strength to go on.

God bless us all, every one.

Merry Christmas.

Copyright © 2016 Henry Edward Hardy

12 December, 2016 - Posted by scanlyze | blind, Carol, Christmas, Dickins, Moses, scanlyze | blind, Carol, Christmas, depair, Dickins, Good Samaritan, love, parable, scanlyze