Heroes and do-gooders come in different forms and fashions. Some come in uniform…defending our country. Some climb trees and return kittens to earth. Some are champions for special health causes. Some land planes in the middle of the Hudson River. And then there are others…everyday American citizens…without uniforms.
Last week in Times Square…it was everyday citizens who saved the day. Lance Orton, Duane Jackson, Aliou Niasse have all been credited for alerting police…and averting an explosive catastrophe. These men, street vendors in New York City, recognized something was wrong and said something. Instead of dismissing the smoke coming from a parked Nissan Pathfinder as a Cheech and Chong skit…they brought it to the attention of a mounted police man. The expression… “where there is smoke, there is fire”…enkindled true.
And who better to know what is really going in the city than a street vendor? They live and breathe the streets of New York. They know the pulse, hum, and the vibe of the street and know when something is off-beat and not in tune.
Unfortunately, not everybody jumps up to the plate and gets involved as did our everyday heroes did that day in Times Square. We’ve seen a couple examples of that In Harford, CT with the hit and run accident. And the homeless man on the sidewalk in NYC. But this time…everyday citizens manned up and got involved.
NYC has taken its share of pot (hole) shots from outsiders who visit the city…labeling them as insensitive, rude, uncaring, and out for themselves…but last time I spent the day in NYC I saw something very different.
On my walk from mid-town to the financial district…which (btw) is a long walk…I saw the contrary. When you REALLY look at people…not through people…or around people…but REALLY look at them…you see a different scenario.
I watched a family walking in front of me…a father and mother with their young child holding hands and swinging arms...stop to exchange hellos and pleasantries with a newspaper/candy vendor. A cop patrolling an area on Broadway say hello to another man with a nod and a smile.
This type of interaction between people happened countless times on my walk. That day, I made a mental note…NYC is a big city…but it is also a community. You might be a visitor…but even with its size...it is a hometown for those who live there.
Anywho………..
We all stand to benefit when we look out for each other and follow the mantra of our Times Square everyday heroes: “If you see something, say something.”
And we PROMISE you won't have to wear blue tights and red boots.
Last week in Times Square…it was everyday citizens who saved the day. Lance Orton, Duane Jackson, Aliou Niasse have all been credited for alerting police…and averting an explosive catastrophe. These men, street vendors in New York City, recognized something was wrong and said something. Instead of dismissing the smoke coming from a parked Nissan Pathfinder as a Cheech and Chong skit…they brought it to the attention of a mounted police man. The expression… “where there is smoke, there is fire”…enkindled true.
And who better to know what is really going in the city than a street vendor? They live and breathe the streets of New York. They know the pulse, hum, and the vibe of the street and know when something is off-beat and not in tune.
Unfortunately, not everybody jumps up to the plate and gets involved as did our everyday heroes did that day in Times Square. We’ve seen a couple examples of that In Harford, CT with the hit and run accident. And the homeless man on the sidewalk in NYC. But this time…everyday citizens manned up and got involved.
NYC has taken its share of pot (hole) shots from outsiders who visit the city…labeling them as insensitive, rude, uncaring, and out for themselves…but last time I spent the day in NYC I saw something very different.
On my walk from mid-town to the financial district…which (btw) is a long walk…I saw the contrary. When you REALLY look at people…not through people…or around people…but REALLY look at them…you see a different scenario.
I watched a family walking in front of me…a father and mother with their young child holding hands and swinging arms...stop to exchange hellos and pleasantries with a newspaper/candy vendor. A cop patrolling an area on Broadway say hello to another man with a nod and a smile.
This type of interaction between people happened countless times on my walk. That day, I made a mental note…NYC is a big city…but it is also a community. You might be a visitor…but even with its size...it is a hometown for those who live there.
Anywho………..
We all stand to benefit when we look out for each other and follow the mantra of our Times Square everyday heroes: “If you see something, say something.”
And we PROMISE you won't have to wear blue tights and red boots.
1 comment:
Today, I went to the beach front with my children. I found a sea shell and gave it to my
4 year old daughter and said "You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear." She put the shell
to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched
her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is
entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!
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