The Post Office

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I wish there were more protective angels/spirits around. This world is getting so crazy with crime & people not caring.

Just found out someone I know was in bed sleeping & heard a lady yelling for help. Turns out that there had been a drive by gang shooting and the bullet went through the apartment wall & hit a small boy while he was sleeping. The Mom was screaming for help & he realized she was on his floor & went and wrapped the kids arm up to stop the bleeding & called 911 for emergency help. That alone is bad but what makes it even sadder is NO one else went to help or see who was screaming for help. Of course the boy doesn't want to sleep in his bed, who can blame him?

[galled]

What a terrible yet also inspiring (perhaps the wrong word--bittersweet heroic?) story!

I do believe in angels (who can be human) and the solutions to these problems will come from people who care about society as a whole (not just their pet projects/interests). It's not that we don't know what to do (which is 90% of solving any problem) or are unable to make changes to get back to a safer society.

[silverberry]

Apathy can be crueler than the crime. But it's amazing that one person's action was enough to help - just by being there and responding to a call for help, he had saved someone.
Not everything is solvable on an individual level, but if a single person can do this much, imagine what a concentrated, collaborated effort could do.

[JinMay]

The world is so scary, it's dangerous even to help others. But I think that person was so brave and kind to go help the child the way they did. Big props to them for stepping up!

[Gingerale]

An example to be willing to step outside of our protected space to help others, especially those who live near us.

I'd like to see a sense of community come back, where neighbors watch out for neighbors.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I'm sending you some "help" JinMay while you are on.

[JinMay]

6 points for assisting you Ale! I agree though. It would be nice to be able to trust neighbors like that again. Aww thank you Lemon!

[Lemon Cheesecake]

You are welcome!

I try to give to my community.

[JinMay]

You're such a kind person Lemon. I'm happy that we became friends. I feel bad for not being here as often as I'd like though.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I think of Windlyn family like my own family, I don't get to see them as often as I would like but when I do it is always a special treat.

[JinMay]

Really? Aww, that's actually really sweet. I've never heard anyone speak of online friends that way before.

[silverberry]

That sense of community be nice to have. There's been so much polarization and dehumanizing of whole groups lately that it feels impossible, but we have to be brave and step up for those who would actually get harmed or even killed if they stood out.

I'm reminded of when community pantries sprang up here during the height of the pandemic. The idea was that people donated what they can (usually excess food or food close to expiry), and those who needed it can take freely. The organizers, who were unaffiliated individuals, were quickly called terrorist recruiters and satanic cultists by government officials. All for the crime of helping others.

Recognizing and refusing to engage with fear-mongering and dehumanization tactics is likely to be the first step to becoming neighbors with each other again.

[Gingerale]

Fear produces separation & segregation & results in the devaluing of our communities.

[JinMay]

It is really unfortunate that acts of kindness are sometimes seen as anything other than what they are. I only hope that one day, people can be kind to each other again and trust one another. That people could do acts of kindness and others could see it as just that.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Our first inclination when somebody does something kind is to wonder what they want or try to find a motive behind it... in today's reality you do have to be cautious but sometimes people do just want to help for the sake of caring.

I am thankful I live in a small enough community that people still do acts of kindness.