Are we Good Samaritans?

[David]

Hi - on a more serious note .. I found this video on YouTube and it made me think.

On Camino we, just about all of us I believe, become an extended family - we share without thought, would share our last food without thought, we help each other without thought (sometimes we even argue without thought ), and it occurs to me now, as it has done before, that this is a rather marvellous human heart thing, quite marvellous.

Whether Christian religious or of another religion; aetheist, 'spiritual', agnostic ... I think that the story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan resonates with us all. For me, especially, it is his specific command at the end of the story "then go, Ye, and do likewise".

Because of how that two thousand year old story has affected me this video has affected me rather deeply - will it do the same to you? Well, I don't know, but what I am fairly certain of is that no pilgrim would walk past an unconscious human on the Camino, regardless of how they were dressed - and I like that, I like that very much.

Buen Camino Pilgrims - (it needs to be watched to the end)

 

[Anniesantiago]

I saw this last year and it was very interesting.
I do believe people are becoming less likely to help.
A few years ago, my 4 year old granddaughter slipped and fell on ice in a busy charity shop parking lot.
I slipped and fell trying to grab her.
She busted her lip and was bleeding and crying.
I fell on my hip and had a hard time moving or getting up.
Many people just walked on by.
Nobody asked, "Are you ok?
Nobody tried to help us.
I dragged myself up, got her up, and limped to the car.
It was a struggle to make it.

I ended up with a bruise that was a foot long and 9 inches wide on my hip (no kidding!)
She had a fat lip for a few days

But I think my heart was hurt more by the indifference...

If possible, I would always stop to help someone who had fallen.
It's just the right thing to do.

 

[David]

So sad, Annie - so sorry

 

[Icacos]

Yes, unfortunately this happens. Thirty-three years ago in a, I think, reasonably respectful residential neighbourhood outside of my city, I got out of my car and suddenly felt so dizzy and nauseous I had to sit on the curb, bend over and put my head down between my legs, and keep it there. My one-year old child was still in the car strapped in his seat. I tried to flag down passing cars for help, and was aware of pedestrians passing behind me on the sidewalk, but no one stopped to help. It was only after the woman I had gone to see, wondering why I was so late arriving, looked out of her front window and saw me sitting on the curb that I got some assistance. I ended up being taken to hospital in an ambulance.

 

[mspath]

Nevertheless Good Samaritans do exist.

November 1, 2004, after crossing the long medieval bridge over the river Orbigo I entered the town of Hospital de Órbigo. Attempting to photograph the parish church I lost my footing and fell head first onto the irregular pavement! My pack crashed into my right shoulder. Flat on the ground my forehead and shoulder hurt like hell! Gently two pilgrims helped me up. An egg was quickly swelling on my forehead (by day’s end I resembled Cyclopes). After exiting the Día de todos los Santos mass a kind Spanish couple appproached and the man said “Don’t worry, madam, I am a Chevalier de Santiago and will help”. They quickly took me to the regional hospital, where I was told to rest, and see a doctor again the following day.

The couple graciously invited me to lunch at their house. My host explained that the Chevaliers de Santiago are a group of Catholic men, who have been nominated to become members and who pledge to foster the Camino and help all pilgrims. In the Spanish custom lunch lasted at least four hours! Two charming adult sons cut my food while I alternately held ice to my head and tried to eat with my left hand since the right shoulder and arm were extremely painful. Yet how, lucky I was to be able to move and to have met this family of guardian angels.

Early next morning the Chevalier and the local priest walked into the albergue dorm to see how I was doing! The priest, the Chevalier and his wife accompanied me to the local doctor's office adjacent to the church. When we four entered the examination room, the Chevalier said to the doctor “Another one has fallen!” It seemed that earlier other pilgrims had also stumbled on that same paving where I tripped. Again I ate with the Chevalier and his family.

..Now after more than ten years I still fondly remember all their kindnesses and spontaneous gracious hospitality. It was heartfelt camino caritas.

Margaret Meredith

 

[Mooncat]

My Lord! Shocking. Yes, it gets one to thinking. There are several things that must be considered in evaluating people's reactions to the fallen man needing help. First, if people are not mentally prepared to help before they encounter the situation, their first instinct will be in self-preservation and they will ignore it. They may pause to see how others react or circle around before going in themselves, but at first, most will not commit to it. Second, we are herd animals. When we are not first on the scene and see people walking by the person who is down, we assume he needs no care because the herd has not reacted. Third, we do judge a person's needs and our risks by appearance. If you want to really know how you would act in a similar situation, you must not just think about what you would do. You must train for it. Act it out with real people, repeatedly. Know the next steps. That is what they do with us at my work, and it helps. After enough repetition of training, a higher percentage of people's first reaction is to quickly assess the situation and commit. I can vouch for that. Mooncat

 

[Mike Savage]

Thanks David for posting this and thanks to everyone who has commented so far. A special thanks to Mooncat for the explanation; it does make me feel slightly better and I hope a little bit prepared. As I was watching the video I could picture myself walking by like everyone else even though I knew I should stop. I just couldn't get past the fear of what might happen. I hope I can do better if this ever happens for real.

 

[Mooncat]

Mike, I am no Chevalier, even with being trained on first response and first aid. I do not work in First Response, but am a scientist who processes numbers. I hate to confess that my first reaction to an unexpected serious health situation still is, "Why me, why now?". But, because of repeated layers of training and acting out situations at work, I have had the clarity of mind to step in relatively quickly and perform the Heimlich maneuver several times with positive results on my elderly parents. The payoff to repeated training is huge. Mooncat

 

[Icacos]

I've often thought about what I would do if I came upon someone lying, seemingly unconscious on the ground, especially if there was no one else around. Must confess my first thought would probably be, "Is this a ploy? If I go near to him, is he going to make a grab for me?" I mentioned this to a friend of mine and she told me that she had had this very conversation, with a policewoman. The policewoman told her that police are taught to approach persons in this type of situation by going to the feet first - you give the 'unconscious' person a gentle nudge/kick in the feet and see what, if any, response you get. That way, if the 'unconscious' person makes a lunge at you, you are already on your feet and, since you are down near his feet, you have the added advantage of being further from his hands and can make a run for it. Makes me feel a whole lot better about ever having to approach someone lying in the ground.

 

[trevorcc]

I do not know what others would do, but as a young man I was in surf lifesaving, when my boys became interested years later i re joined as well and patrolled beaches in Australia till I was 50+ so I always ask if I see someone that looks stressed or in trouble are you ok. I think by being involved and giving of ones time it helps us to be more at home to ask. Since coming back from my Camino I now notice tourist that maybe having trouble finding their way (not many yellow arrows in Oz) and I ask can I help as the Spanish were always so kind in this regard which always made me feel very comfortable. Three words let us all practice "Can I help" Buen Camino.

 

[Griffin57]

My first response as a nurse would be to respond to anyone, anywhere especially if I'd witnessed the intial collapse, that's when you can help the most.
I'm astonished that so many people would ignore someone like this, but I understand the herd instinct and that everyone is thinking that someone else is going to respond, just not themselves.
It's so very sad that that the response is so different just because the victim's appearance is different.
On the camino or off the camino we could all strive to do better as a human race?

 

[Kanga]

Our daughter was out running one day when she came across an elderly man passed out on the ground. There were a few people about but no-one had stopped to investigate. She started giving chest compression and mouth to mouth and of course other people did then stop to help. She kept up the chest compression and mouth to mouth until the ambulance arrived. He had apparently died before she arrived and she was too late to save him, but I am incredibly proud that she tried. She had some training in first aid at university, and as @Mooncat says, training is the key.

Similarly to Margaret, I have had a couple of good experiences. I have no depth perception and occasionally do spectacular face plants when I miss a step or change in ground level. Every time it has happened people have rushed to help. I think it helps that they would have seen me fall, so they understood what had happened.

 

[William Garza]

I stop.
A epileptic friend dropped hard from a grand mal seizure
All the kids stood and laughed at her

Fear for her
Anger that no one would help
So i did...
Head on my lap,she took my hand
Tears in her eyes as she seized
Still,the laughter..
God Blessed me with a large body for a reason ,i grabbed nearest boy,pulled him near
Put the idea that it would be very prudent for him to run,rikki tikki to get an adult...now.
She looked at me as she was carried off.
I was indelibly marked.

No.I will not pass my brothet or sister by.
The only thing i fear
Is shame...
At having a chance to help
And not.

Mors Ante Infamiam.

Why people near to me dont understand this basic fact..

As I have been blessed,so i must give.

 

[Kanga]

Wow. Good one @William Garza.

 

[William Garza]

If not us..
Who?
Tell me who?

All you wondeful pilgrims out there
Between
Here
And there.

Must count for something,to someone.

The road demands a different behavior above and beyond the toil and trouble in the outside worlds coils.

My roads have been different than yours
But the common threads make a woundrous tapestry of how life..
Is..not what could be...is.

All you wonderful pilgrims
All you poor pilgrims
Come home you do
To find the you are a stranger upon your own hearth and home
Even among dearest kith and kin,you who have "seen"are now marked,

Pity they,to whom the Samaritan is a stranger...

How can a life of fullness be compared to a filled life..do you see?

I wondered once in my youth...
When screaming at the altar of your gods
You hear an answer...
What do you do?

Some,people are screaming too loud i think,to hear an answer
Long ago i heard a whisper.

David.
I think people either are..
Or not.
But somewhere along the line they had a choice
Have a choice
Or never will.
Be Blessed

 

[Mooncat]

Some of you may remember a TV commercial for an automobile a while back, showed a couple, dressed to the nines, driving on a rainy night. The wife congratulated the husband on securing such fine opera tickets, and he smiled and said, "Happy Birthday". Then, by the side of the highway, there appeared a scruffy and rain-soaked dog, obviously disoriented and in danger of being hit by a car. Without discussion, they immediately pulled over, the gentlemen jumped out into the rain and took the wet dog, which was not small, in his arms. Into the car it went and all three of them drove off, all smiles. It was an extraordinary commercial. Of course, I don't remember the make of car, but have toiled ever since wondering why they would sacrifice well made plans and crisp attire to assist a strange dog by the side of the road. I found the idea preposterous at the time.

However, here I am, here we are, on our way to a life event (The Camino), the preparations for which being certainly quite involved and significant. And, the question has arisen in this thread as to how we might react upon finding somebody of questionable or unknown background apparently needing assistance. Would you sacrifice an hour, a day, or your remaining Camino to help them? Are you a "true Pilgrim" only if you help? What are you if you walk on by? I don't have an answer. But, I pray that if I do stumble upon such a situation (or am in fact the person needing assistance), I will be able to call upon one of you for support, guidance, and assistance. Mooncat

 

[David]

Yes - I don't know that advert but that is exactly how I see it! Back in the late 70's one of my brother-in-laws was not a very nice man. He thought he was, which was the problem. He was arrogant, very arrogant, and angry at the world. He found people superficial, everyone else was wrong. He thought he was a hippy and refused to be a part of 'straight' society. He had a good heart but it was lost to him. He and I would sometimes argue when he visited but in the end I gave up on that as he couldn't be reached. The Camino would have been so good for him!

Anyway ... he went to stay in Greece for a few months, earning a living by street selling joss sticks and other 'hippy' accessories. He lived small, inexpensively. One day he was walking along a street near his home and saw a small dog in a skip placed below a large apartment block - (don't know what they call them in other countries - a large open metal container hired by someone for rubbish items - builders use them - brought by a truck and unloaded onto the street - collected when it was full). He couldn't go past. Had a look at the dog and saw that it was alive. He took a small wooden board from the skip, slid the dog onto it and waited for someone to walk past. When they did he used his phrase book to ask where the nearest vet was. He took the dog to the vet. The vet said the injuries, many broken bones, were what one would expect if the dog had been thrown from a high window. Alan used most of his savings and paid for all treatment and visited the dog every day, staying for hours each time. When the dog was well enough he took him home to his small apartment. He gentled the dog, healed the dog. As he didn't have enough money to pay for taking the dog back to the UK with the high cost of six months quarantine, he chose to stay and live in Greece. He learned Greek and settled in. Eventually got a job as a Greek/English translator. He had been single and alone for many years. After a couple of years or so he met a woman and started a relationship with her. She was severely anorexic and he cared for her too, healed her as well.
After ten years, when the dog died of old age Alan came back to the uk with his girlfriend on a visit - only a visit as he felt that Athens was his home now. He came to stay with us and I am so glad that he did. He had become a remarkable man. Gentle, kind, caring, not putting himself first, a Good man - or rather, he had become the man that he really had been all the time, he just didn't know it then. He still lives in Athens, my grown children have visited him, they love him, think he is a wonderful man - which he is.

Just my story - but it shows what can happen when one doesn't walk past.

Buen Camino.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

Yes - I don't know that advert but that is exactly how I see it! Back in the late 70's one of my brother-in-laws was not a very nice man. He thought he was, which was the problem. He was arrogant, very arrogant, and angry at the world. He found people superficial, everyone else was wrong. He thought he was a hippy and refused to be a part of 'straight' society. He had a good heart but it was lost to him. He and I would sometimes argue when he visited but in the end I gave up on that as he couldn't be reached. The Camino would have been so good for him!

Anyway ... he went to stay in Greece for a few months, earning a living by street selling joss sticks and other 'hippy' accessories. He lived small, inexpensively. One day he was walking along a street near his home and saw a small dog in a skip placed below a large apartment block - (don't know what they call them in other countries - a large open metal container hired by someone for rubbish items - builders use them - brought by a truck and unloaded onto the street - collected when it was full). He couldn't go past. Had a look at the dog and saw that it was alive. He took a small wooden board from the skip, slid the dog onto it and waited for someone to walk past. When they did he used his phrase book to ask where the nearest vet was. He took the dog to the vet. The vet said the injuries, many broken bones, were what one would expect if the dog had been thrown from a high window. Alan used most of his savings and paid for all treatment and visited the dog every day, staying for hours each time. When the dog was well enough he took him home to his small apartment. He gentled the dog, healed the dog. As he didn't have enough money to pay for taking the dog back to the UK with the high cost of six months quarantine, he chose to stay and live in Greece. He learned Greek and settled in. Eventually got a job as a Greek/English translator. He had been single and alone for many years. After a couple of years or so he met a woman and started a relationship with her. She was severely anorexic and he cared for her too, healed her as well.
After ten years, when the dog died of old age Alan came back to the uk with his girlfriend on a visit - only a visit as he felt that Athens was his home now. He came to stay with us and I am so glad that he did. He had become a remarkable man. Gentle, kind, caring, not putting himself first, a Good man - or rather, he had become the man that he really had been all the time, he just didn't know it then. He still lives in Athens, my grown children have visited him, they love him, think he is a wonderful man - which he is.

Just my story - but it shows what can happen when one doesn't walk past.

Buen Camino.

David, that was such a wonderful story. It really shows how people can change through loving another creature and another person. Giving is becoming. Service is the key that opens the heart.

Thanks for sharing that. Beautiful and sensitive writing.

 

[Mooncat]

David, thank you for your story. It is very inspiring and intimidating. Humbling. I have a long way to go towards being as good a person as I can be. But, the Camino will be good for me. And, I am setting my mind straight so I will not "walk past". Geez, when I first committed to walking this walk, and then took it on as a pilgrimage, I had no idea what I was really getting into. From accepting that I only need one change of clothes during 6 weeks of travel to being willing to stop everything to assist a person I haven't even encountered yet. Well, I will do my best. Thanks. Mooncat

 

[Felice]

Just been reading the newspaper and came across this: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...-taxi-to-save-woman-trapped-under-wheels.html
Classic case of someone taking the lead and everyone else follows. Same as Mooncat noted.
But the worrying thing was that our emergency services have been trained to do a risk assessment first and then act if it is safe. That has led to people drowning because the emergency services had been trained not to enter water unless they knew it was safe to do so. Thankfully, there are still brave people who act first and think afterwards. Some of them pay with their lives, but I'm sure many more lives are saved as a result of their actions.
I'll be honest - I've no idea how I would react in such a situation. Do nothing? Panic and make things worse? Just hope I never have to find out.

 

[bsmorgan]

How timely is this thread! We are currently on the camino. We decided yesterday to stop at Itero, after Castrojeriz , for brekky. I face planted spectacularly down two steps onto the tiled bar area. Not one pilgrim or bar staff member came to my Aid. I broke my glasses and sat stunned for a few minutes. Fortunately my husband got to me quickly, but we both commented on the fact that not one pilgrim even came over to check that all was ok. This is not our usual camino experience.
Battered and bruised today but soldiering on and looking like Stevie Wonder with my prescription sunglasses on inside!

 

[Felice]

I remember Itero...

Shortly before that bar, I was walking along the road and there was a car coming from one direction. So I stood at the edge of the road to let it pass, but before that happened another car came from the opposite direction. I took a slight step backwards as the road is narrow and it looked as though the cars were going to pass each other just where I was standing.

Bad move. The wild flowers hid the fact that there was a steep ditch and no road edge. I started to fall backwards, and because of my pack, I lost my balance. So there I was, falling backwards in slow motion. I landed gently in the ditch, bottom first, feet on the bank with my pack making contact and breaking my fall. Very undignified. Lots of people around, including a guy who was laughing his head off and saying he wished he had had his camera ready. So I told him to give me a hand out instead. No one asked if I was OK, though maybe it was obvious that only my dignity was hurt.

 

[mspath]

We never know where or when or how we may be able to offer help. Read this account re yesterday in central London. ...Thirty total strangers did not walk past but reacted!

 

[Kanga]

This thread hurts. One day three of us were walking on the Norte when we came across a puppy, on the trail but just outside an isolated farmhouse. It was probably about six kilometres from the previous village. I and one of my companions instinctively bent down and went to pat the puppy. It was clearly scared, but wagged its tail and, in a tentative manner, crept forward to be petted. It was well fed and not dishevelled. A dear little thing. It had a collar but no tags. We realised that the farmhouse was unoccupied and it had not come from there. We kept walking. The puppy followed. We tried to shoo it back. It retreated, but kept following. We ignored it. We kept ignoring it. It kept following. I think the puppy had followed some other pilgrims from the village six kilometres before. I surmised that others had probably thrown stones at it, or something, to try to send it back. I wanted to do something but my companions pressed on. Eventually we came to another village and when an adult dog started barking the puppy stopped. We left it there, hoping someone from the village would recognise it or the puppy's owner would realise what had happened and follow up the trail.

I don't know why I did not have the courage to make a stand. I should have left my companions, turned around and taken it back to the first village. For days after I could not stop thinking about it. It still weighs heavily on my conscience.

 

[Mooncat]

Ok, I have returned from walking the Camino Frances and unfortunately have a disheartening first story and a reassuring second story to relate. During my Camino but not in my company, one of my new friends was walking and had an allergic reaction to what he had eaten for lunch. He said he was out on the trail and away from the last village he had visited. He said that he felt itchy and before he knew it started to swell up and collapsed beside the path. While lying there, he said several groups of people passed him. Some asked if he was "ok", and he said NO, I am having an allergic reaction and need help (in Spanish and English). The did not stop to assist him. One fellow Pilgrim even suggested that he drink water as a solution, and then continued on. My friend could not believe that people would not stop. Then, a lone walker appeared and asked if he was ok and rendered assistance. He tried to get the sick fellow up for his circulation. When he saw that the condition was worsening, he carried he fellow to the roadside and began trying to flag down cars. Several cars passed, even though the sick Pilgrim was easily seen laying by the side of the road. Then a car with two elderly Spanish ladies stopped and took my friend to the hospital, where the allergic reaction was dealt with successfully.

Several days later, the Good Samaritan was stung by a bee and had a reaction. He had a vial of medicine with him, but no syringe. He went into a panic as his airway started to close. Who appeared? The fellow he had helped previously, who happened to be a nurse. The nurse was able to locate a syringe and administer the medicine to save the Good Samaritan's life. Debt paid. They are now good friends.

While I was on the Camino last month, I heard of 4 allergic reactions occurring among walkers. Thankfully, I did not hear of any tragedies to accompany these occurrences. But, it was shocking to hear that fellow Pilgrims just walked on by. Shocking and shameful!

 

[Mike Savage]

I am shocked that many people passed after he said he needed help. I am glad to hear it worked out, great end to the story for sure.