Perspectives

We do not see people as they are; We see them as we are.

—Anais Nin

I met the girls out for dinner and drinks on Thursday evening. A low-key girl's night, a lot going on in each of our lives, a little venting and laughing was therapeutic, as always.

On the way back to our car, we encountered a young couple addressing a man lying in the street. Melissa and Georgie, both nurses, ran over to check things out, and I just kind of circled them all, in limbo. The guy was conscious, and becoming alert, but asked us to call an ambulance for him. The young girl set about doing that, while Mel said "we need to sit you up!" She grabbed him under his arms and set him upright on the curb, and out of the street.


We then hovered around, Mel parking herself right next to him, to wait until proper authorities showed up. The man seemed ok, by then, and bantered with all of us.

Some minutes later, a squad car showed up, and a police officer got out, a bit exasperated. The first thing he said to me was "What is this, some kind of social experiment?!!"

What? He repeated the question: "Some kind of social experiment going on here?"

Well, no, I told him. We're just waiting with this guy until he gets a little help. "I'll take it from here," he told us. The underlying message definitely being "beat it, girlies."

We scrammed. On our way back by the intersection, our "friend" was being patted down.

I can't help thinking of the different perspectives to just one 15-minute event.

Guy in the street: Must have been an interesting perspective, lying on the concrete and looking up at 5 people staring down at you.

Kids: Rattled and unsure of what to do.

Nurses: summarizing the situation, and knowing, after a few minutes, that "upright" okay.

Me: Clear on only one thing: you don't leave people lying in the street.

The Police Officer: Knowing still more than we do, exasperated and wondering what in the hell these 3 blondies are up to with THIS guy. HIM again. Arrest? Paperwork? Scolding? One of their local pains-in-the ass.

And after it was over?

Those kids were on their way giggling about an exciting event. Georgie went back to a new apartment, new life, new job. Melissa went home and ended up rushing her dad to ER, with heart problems. I came home and began working on my kid's next care package. And that cop? I'm sure he was a nice guy. Maybe his shift ended at 11. Maybe he went home to a wife and a couple of precious kids tucked under cozy blankets.

Maybe.

I don't know.

And I don't know what happened to Guy, either.

I know we just keep moving on, with our own perspectives, and I'm hopeful that we remain tolerant of other's.