So this just happened, and I wanted to share it to make a point about compassion and human decency. On my way home from work, I pulled off the 5th St exit and saw a man slumped over in his seat at the stop sign. I immediately pulled over, called 911, and gave them all the details: vomiting, convulsing, unconscious but still breathing. While I was on the phone with dispatch, directing traffic around his truck, people were stopping at the intersection, taking pictures and asking me if the man was on heroin. All I could do was yell, “MOVE! You’re blocking traffic and not helping AT ALL!”
I kept telling 911 that there was no evidence of drug use or alcohol—his vomit didn’t even smell like it. But when the first cop pulled up, he immediately said, “OD.” I get that we’re fighting a serious drug epidemic, and I know the officers follow protocol. But from my perspective, I couldn’t help but see this man as a human, not just another overdose case.
The officer looked at the man, unconscious and convulsing, and jumped to conclusions. Why? Because he was unconscious? Because he was convulsing? Because he looked like someone who might be overdosing? But in that moment, I saw a person in distress, not a statistic.
The ambulance arrived quickly, and they began to assess the man. When they finally got him awake and started asking questions, they asked if he had been using drugs or drinking. He said no. The paramedics pressed on, asking why he was sweating so badly and what had happened. The man simply said, “I’m diabetic.”
Diabetic. Not an overdose. Not heroin. Just a medical condition that caused him to be in distress.
The paramedics searched his car, found nothing, and then took him away in the ambulance. The couple that had stopped before me and I were told we could leave, and that was that. But what struck me most wasn’t the situation—it was the people who were so quick to assume the worst about this man. The officer assumed he was an addict. The passersby assumed the same. But no one bothered to ask what was really happening, and no one seemed to care about the possibility that he was just a person in need of help.
This experience reminded me that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions about anyone in need, especially in emergency situations. Whether someone is dealing with addiction or something else, they are still a human being deserving of help, compassion, and care. What happened to the idea of “It takes a village”? What happened to “Love thy neighbor”?
That man could have been someone’s father, brother, son, or husband. And if we had ignored him, or assumed the worst, he could have died. That should be the focus: helping others, not judging them based on assumptions or appearances.
I hope this story serves as a reminder to look at the human side of every situation. Everyone deserves compassion, and we should remember that, especially in times of crisis. Let’s be the village that helps, not the one that judges.
