I hate to brag – despite being the possessor of an
“innie”, all my own toes, and a bank account numbering in the tens – but I recently
saved the life of a stranger.
Or at least a leg.
Look at him.He is
staring, this young man, into the face of a device.You know the device.Everyone’s talking about them.You can stare at them and walk into traffic
and not miss an update or an invitation to a Happy Hour.
It’s the end of the day, and I am stopped at the cross
walk, waiting for the light.I look – as is my wont – in both directions
several times.The Nicollet Mall is
closed to all but buses and taxis.Because
of this, many pedestrians lose their natural-born fear of things much faster than
themselves.
But not this gal.Not ol’ Pearl.
The young man across the street, however, seems to have been
born without this fear.
I watch from the curb as he approaches from the other
side of the street. Brain-deep in his
phone, I can see that in the next five, six steps, he’s going to be in the
street.
I look up the street in time to see a hard-pedaling bike
bearing down.
A bike messenger.
Holy Hannah.
BIKE MESSENGER!
Bike Messenger has the light.There’s no reason for him to stop.
I look forward as Mr. Distracted steps onto Nicollet.
“LOOK OUT!” It’s
the loudest I’ve been this year.
The man with the phone looks up.“What?”
Bike man swerves, just a bit, and speeds on.“DUDE!” And then, a moment later, “THANKS, LADY!”
Mr. Distracted says nothing.
But I smile anyway.Because I didn’t do it for the thanks.
I did it because I didn’t want to witness the crash.