Albuquerque, NM

Point 2. These people were probably mostly middle to high income people delivering their offspring to possible a private school. Betcha there were some nice cars in the group. Probably some church going families.

doubt that they were in a dnagerous barrio, not in a heavy trafficed big city. They’d have few excuses. They are role models for their children.

Read on and hear the first person story. How would you react?

12
March
2008
HOW WOULD YOU REACT?
Posted by Robin Easton under: The Robin Report .

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS!

At 7:30 this morning I went for a five mile impromptu walk along a country road, about fifteen minutes outside Santa Fe. I slung my digital camera around my neck and headed off. To get to the dirt track that would take me away from the main road I had to walk about a mile along a tarred road that passed a school. I was just passing the school entrance where eight cars where waiting to turn in and drop off their kids. Now, I’m one of those people who rarely pokes along. I tend to stride everywhere I go, and if it’s in the country or on a remote hiking trail I am SO HAPPY that I usually stride along with a huge foolish grin perpetually plastered across my face. All the while my head turns every which way trying to take in everything at once, like a little bird on a branch.

Well, that was my down fall today…literally. The toe of my sneaker hit a rock sticking out of the ground and BAM; down I went. I clutched my camera to my chest and put out my other hand to break my fall. Thank God I had gloves on. I remembered to roll when I fell, but my kneecaps still ground into gravel with searing pain. I crawled about a foot cursing and moaning, finally pushed myself upright with my hands, slowly unbent my knees and stood to check for bloody torn pants and damaged camera. A bit of blood but otherwise all was intact but wincing with pain. I could feel the cars next to me, still there, still waiting to turn into the school. Normally my first thought might be, “Oh God, are they looking at me? Did anyone see me?” “Did I lose my cool?” : ) But I also like to face embarrassment or fear head on, so I casually looked down the entire line of cars with the intent to smile and wave or possibly take a bow. BUT all heads were turned away from me…and I mean ALL heads. Needless to say I didn’t bow. I vaguely thought, “That’s odd; eight cars and NO ONE saw me fall???” I wondered if all heads had quickly turned in unison the moment I stood and looked at them. Can you picture it? (I forgot to tell you that I had on a ridiculous florescent-pink baseball cap that people back in Santa Fe could still see.)

About half a mile farther down the road I thought, “Ooooh I get it (light bulb over my head), they probably felt embarrassed for me. OR they didn’t want to embarrass me by letting me know they HAD seen me fall. I mean this was no lady-like glitch in my stride. This was out-and-out buns upside down and butter on the floor. About a mile down the road I turned onto the dirt track and thought, “What is it about human nature that they couldn’t look at me? Fifteen feet away, and no one saw a head in a glow-in-the-dark cap bouncing around on the side of the road?” That made me curious, fascinated and intrigued by human nature. Two miles further down the track, I was amazed that no one had rolled down there window and asked if I was okay. (You have to realize that these thoughts came to me slowly because I am a passionate photographer and was clicking away as I limped along. I also was probably in some form of “drastic shock” that would take another five miles to realize.)

How would you have reacted to my downfall??

The early-morning tripper,

Robin : )

Ideally, I would have 1) seen her fall, 2) I would have gotten out of the car to see if she were all right. Robin’s answer would have determined my next response. But what would you have done? Mary