Contemplation and Heroes

Today was an interesting day. It's my sister's 30th birthday today. I spent much of the weekend thinking about it, wishing she were closer so I could tease her about turning 30 and how old she is getting. Of course, I am not too far from 30 myself, but you know...it's a sister's job to tease in these times.

Anyway, my sister's birthday had been on my mind this morning as I went to the subway. Today was a very ordinary day. I had to stop to refill my subway pass (I usually have an unlimited pass, but there have been all kinds of snafus with my pass recently, and I'm in limbo waiting for a new one). After I put more money on my pass, I headed down to the basement of the station where I could get the express train.

I took my usual spot in the station, where I could get in my usual car, and head to my usual Monday. Just to my right was a musician, as there is about 75% of the time for this part of my commute. Just as I stood in my place, I heard a woman scream. I've never heard a scream quite like it in real life before. The musician next to me, who had a drum and some other things, just ran. He just ran toward the screaming woman. I was near the middle of the platform, and the screaming was coming from the front. After a moment, the woman was screaming words, as were others. They began screaming that there was a man on the tracks. Someone raced up the stairs to find a station agent to tell them to stop the train that was maybe 60 seconds away from the station at that point. I looked, and the train wasn't visible yet. The man with the drum reached the end of the station, set down his drum, and jumped onto the subway tracks. Subway tracks are much, much deeper in the ground than they look, so I began to panic that they might both be trapped down there, both the original man on the tracks, and now his rescuer. The rescuer climbed over the third rail, retrieved the little man from between the two subway tracks (one each direction), and boosted him back onto the platform. Then, the rescuer pulled himself back onto the platform. At this point, someone had alerted the incoming train of the situation, and the train just stopped mostly out of the platform, waiting for the all clear. The rescuer and the man he rescued approached where I was standing. The man he had rescued looked very small to me while he was on the tracks, but I figured it was just because the tracks were deep. But really, it was a very small man. A very old, small man, who walked with a cane. The small, old man embraced the Good Samaritan, and they both began to cry together. The old man then proceeded up the stairs, aided by others, while the Good Samaritan paused and began quietly sobbing. The rest of the people on the platform began crying as well, and as the train pulled into the station, people hugged the hero and wished God's blessings upon him.

Then, the train doors opened, and we got on.

Several people got on in the same spot with me, and we talked about what had happened.

I may share more later about other thoughts about this story, but today, I shared the subway platform with an extraordinary man. A man who runs toward someone screaming. A man who jumps onto subway tracks without a second thought. A man who gave no regard for who the person on the tracks was or how he got to be there. And then that man went back to his usual job of singing and playing music, hoping to make a living during the morning commute.

I think my sister would like that I spent her birthday with a hero.