I Just Watched

I catch the train home from the Galavin Station most nights. The Galavin is round the block and two blocks East from where I work. This trip takes me into the heart of downtown past people and building pleasing to the eye. I cut through blocks and alleys and generally enjoy the trip. The trip is refreshing and lets me believe I live in a in a big city. I don’t but I am gulable and if I keep one eye shut and look in the storefront windows I can almost believe.

Last evening I was racing my chair to the train and just came out between two buildings on Main street. As I came out of “hyper drive” heard a man seriously speaking into his cell phone. I was trying to correct my fishtailing so I paid little attention. I passed the cell talker and two guys, slowed down and did a quick survey. Doing so, I was again focused on the cell talker. He was shouting into the cellular—the world shifted something was not right but I could not place just what was out of place. Then I singled out cellular’s voice out of all the Main street ‘Just get someone down here right away!” “I have to go but I am afraid they well hurt them selves if I leave….yes, just hurry, send a car or something…just hurry”. The moment was surreal as I switched my focus from the cell talker to the two men beside him.

The two men were separated by Cellular and only now I noticed, were trying to get bye him to engage in physical combat! The two combatants were in the early stages of engagement. They reminded me of animals in the wild circling each other sizing up each other before striking. Each time one would try to get past the cellular would block the path. One of the fighter was clearly the aggressor and I could see that Cellular was clearly trying to protect the weaker. How noble I thought, a Samaritan. Samaritan wore a button down shirt and tie and Levis, he had a folder of sorts in one hand and his cell phone in then other and was “dancing” between the two clearly more and more frustrated at the lack of concern he was getting from the police department. He at one time had to push the aggressor between a planter and a large downtown flowerpot.

I felt helpless and invisible and was much impressed my Samaritans efforts

To control the combatants rage. There were folks all round the fighters but no one else had stepped to help, this is not entirely true another guy finally helped hold back the rager. I just sat and stared and marveled. With the enrolment of the second Samaritan the energy seemed to drain from the aggressor throwing up his hands and walking away only to \double back and try to “sucker punch’ the other combatant but was taken down by Cellular. I pressed by joystick and zoomed forward to my train which just rounded the corner. The cops still had not shown up but the fighters had dissipated like dark clouds after a storm. I have thought of Cellular’s courage, commitment to peace or what ever all day and wondered if I would have done such a thing—but shamefully I doubt that I would. I have so much yet to grow into..