I felt someone shaking my arm and then his voice came through: “Sir, can you hear me, are you alright?” The last thing I remember was my right ski lifting off the snow…and then blackness.
Losing consciousness is never a good thing and I don’t know how long I was out for. But being woken up ASAP is crucial. Even after helping me up, making sure I didn’t need to be brought down by a stretcher or even airlifted, I finally made my way down. And even that night being woken up every hour, per concussion protocol, I just couldn’t recall anything between seeing my right ski lift up and being woken up by a perfect stranger. Who was he? Who sent him? Where did he go? And how in the world was I going to thank him?
Every minute of every day we are reminded of the terrible things happening all around us, from porch pirates, car thieves to criminals taking the lives of others. Even with the goal of highlighting the excellent work of our police department, we are informed of every crime on our streets of this once small and peaceful town, with the sharing of the Ring doorbell videos and the play by play of every criminal-looking person walking on Main Street. But surely It can’t all be all bad?
I love our policy at the Neighborhood Gazette of focusing on “good news” and “good people.” There’s simply not enough stories to remind us every day that there are many more amazing people that live all around us than those that mean harm to us. Those that go out and shovel a neighbor’s driveway or buy that cup of coffee for the person behind them at the drive through. The city staff person that takes time to explain and help with the tax code. The couple that has the audacity to open a business at the onset of an epidemic. The pub that opens its doors for so many good causes. Strangers helping strangers. Just absolutely surrounded by great people.
It’s not like my head got knocked and I’m seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, completely oblivious to any of the crime that is happening right around me. But in 2023, I am absolutely choosing to focus on the good.
I am going to try and find this person who happened to be there at the right place and right time to help me. There’s a reason for everything and some would call it intervention from above. Maybe karma or perhaps just a good samaritan looking out for someone in need. But that day made it loud and clear that good is all around us. We just have to notice.
As always, thanks for reading.
Contact Neighborhood Gazette Publisher Guy Nahmiach at WRGazette@gmail.com or 303-999-5789.
