A Problem

I have a problem with a very real aspect of society that truly affected me today. I live right by the local elementary and middle schools. I have kids walking by my house all day. It starts about 7:30 in the morning and I still have kids leaving school around 5:30 when I get home from work. This morning I saw a kid walking the wrong way, away from school. He was crying. I was just leaving my house and did not think much of it. Shame on me. I got in my car and pulled out of my driveway. When I got to the corner of the street I saw this same kid walking back toward school physically upset and crying. I had an internal struggle within myself "I should help that kid." "You cannot help that kid, you are a stranger." "I would want someone to help my kid, if I had a kid." "He does not know you and you could be scary and dangerous." I actually had this fight in my head. Shame on me again. So I finally decided that if the police wanted to arrest me for doing the right thing I was fine with it. I rolled down my window and asked him if he was ok. He said no. I asked him if he needed help. He said yes. I pulled my car over and got out. I was blocking traffic, I was a stranger, and I did not care.

We live in a society where the good people are terrified at times to help out the innocent. I am fully aware that there are very bad people in our society, that do very real and bad things to people. I am fully aware that there are very sick and twisted people who will hurt young children in vile and disgusting ways. How sad that these people have made me so paranoid that I had to even pause before helping this kid. Because there are more good people in our society who want to do good. There are good people who helped me growing up, and helped me see good. I wanted to walk this kid to school and make sure the very capable secretary at the elementary school was aware of him and his needs. I wanted to give this kid a hug and a tissue; let him know that everything was going to be alright. His problem was very real and big to this kid. And there is nothing I can do to help him.But I could not take this kid the rest of the way to school because someone could have thought I was kidnapping him. I could not hug this kid because that is sexual harassment. This is very sad and disturbing to me. All this kid, DJ, needed to know is that someone loved him. Literally, he did not think anyone loved him. And I could not show him any affection because of our societal stigma. What I could do was listen to him, talk to him, and encourage him to talk to a trusted adult at school. Then I called the school and asked the secretary to bring this kid down and have him talk to someone who was a trusted adult.

As I was doing this I had people honk at me for blocking traffic, I had the crossing guards rush over to make sure I was not a threat to him, and 30+ cars full of parents drove past me not helping. That to me is sad. I know that society is full of good people. I say the good people unite and take a stand. I want to be able to help kids who do not have good and love around them without the fear of being hauled in for questionable actions. I want to know that I can help the DJ's of the world and that they will grow up to be good people too. So bad people of the world, you can suck it! Good people, let's take back our society and do good.

Woah, how did that soapbox get under my feet?