Have you ever been called upon to save the world or at least one person like Tex? Speak of it here. I'll go first. Here is a local news report featuring me saying some corny things.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIYFBn-X-k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIYFBn-X-k
"The real world is bizarre enough for me." - Blue Öyster Cult
Dude. Wow. I love you. You're one of those people in this world that make it worth it to be a human being. I'm sure you've probably been sick of hearing it by now, but you saved a kids life. Whether you just happened to be in the right place at the right time is irrelevant. When it came down to it, you were the highest quality human being that you are. It's a shame you weren't in New York the day that everyone decided to take a photo of a guy getting mowed down on the subway instead of helping him. You may not think so, but there are a severe lack of quality individuals in life like you, and I think the world needs more of you.
As to your question, I've always wanted to be a hero, but have never been presented the opportunity as of yet. A few years back, I was suicidal, and wanted to go out saving someone else. My reasoning was that I'd trade my life saving some one elses, and everyone would remember me for that and not the low life I had turned out to be. I would go to the lake and sit and watch people swim, and wait. Thankfully that phase of my life has passed, but not the want to be the hero.
The closest thing I have is when my McDonalds store was robbed in 2005 or so, right before I took up truck driving for a while. It was me, managing, and a crew of under 18 female minors. (all were in their teens, I remember me and three girls) When the guys came into the store, they put the girls in a corner and had me in the office. I made sure to keep their attention affixed to myself during the ordeal, talked loudly, and just mainly tryed to keep their attention. They ordered me about like a marionette from the safe, and then to the registers, the whole while telling them "I'll take care of whatever you need" etc... That night I felt responsible for these girls, and didn't want anything to happen to them, so I aided and abetted the robbery like I was one of their own. I had them out of the store in less than 2 minutues. In retrospect, I guess it was probably a bad idea, since the cops "just missed" them leaving the store, and they were never caught, but I limited the girls traumatic experience to 2 minutes, and I kept their guns off them, and on me. It may not seem like much of a story, but I always felt good about myself after that day, because it was that day I learned that in a tense, hostile situation, even being scared to death ... my sense of humanity and placing the innocent before myself was there. It's situations like these that truly define who you are in this world.
Again, I can't say it enough Tril. You ARE the man. You should feel like the man, and if I lived near you, I'd buy you a drink. I almost feel obligated to mail you money for a drink.
And by the way, you didn't give a crappy interview at all. I think it was well paced, and you spoke from the heart. You don't want an actor when you're shooting for "truth" just genuine "youness" ... people respond better to that methinks. I did anyway. Cheers to you man.
As to your question, I've always wanted to be a hero, but have never been presented the opportunity as of yet. A few years back, I was suicidal, and wanted to go out saving someone else. My reasoning was that I'd trade my life saving some one elses, and everyone would remember me for that and not the low life I had turned out to be. I would go to the lake and sit and watch people swim, and wait. Thankfully that phase of my life has passed, but not the want to be the hero.
The closest thing I have is when my McDonalds store was robbed in 2005 or so, right before I took up truck driving for a while. It was me, managing, and a crew of under 18 female minors. (all were in their teens, I remember me and three girls) When the guys came into the store, they put the girls in a corner and had me in the office. I made sure to keep their attention affixed to myself during the ordeal, talked loudly, and just mainly tryed to keep their attention. They ordered me about like a marionette from the safe, and then to the registers, the whole while telling them "I'll take care of whatever you need" etc... That night I felt responsible for these girls, and didn't want anything to happen to them, so I aided and abetted the robbery like I was one of their own. I had them out of the store in less than 2 minutues. In retrospect, I guess it was probably a bad idea, since the cops "just missed" them leaving the store, and they were never caught, but I limited the girls traumatic experience to 2 minutes, and I kept their guns off them, and on me. It may not seem like much of a story, but I always felt good about myself after that day, because it was that day I learned that in a tense, hostile situation, even being scared to death ... my sense of humanity and placing the innocent before myself was there. It's situations like these that truly define who you are in this world.
Again, I can't say it enough Tril. You ARE the man. You should feel like the man, and if I lived near you, I'd buy you a drink. I almost feel obligated to mail you money for a drink.
And by the way, you didn't give a crappy interview at all. I think it was well paced, and you spoke from the heart. You don't want an actor when you're shooting for "truth" just genuine "youness" ... people respond better to that methinks. I did anyway. Cheers to you man.
I'm not fat ... I'm festively plump.
I've never been in the news for anything of the sort, but I did stumble upon a rather hysterical girl while walking down the streets of my home town late one saturday night (or early sunday morning as the case may be).
She was in complete hysterics, not making any sense, and I managed to calm her to the point where she figured out I wasn't trying to hurt her. All I could get out of her was that someone had tried to do her harm in some way, not sure who or what, but she was obviously terrified. She just sort of flopped to the ground as if by meeting me she just gave up. I sat down next to her and held her hand. Drunk people started circling us and offering drunk people's advice (You've got your evening made, friend! Leave her to me, I'll take care of her! Leave her be, she's just faking for attention! What's going on here horb burb glarg puke!)
I talked to her calmly and explained I was sober. I was also willing to drive her home, my car was visible from where we sat, and I blinked the lights with my keys. I must have one of those faces, because me sitting there in the snow and the cold and holding her head up from the cold of the ground and letting her hand on to my other hand with both of hers; she agreed. Because I promised not to hurt her.
I got her to her feet, put her in my car, then drove her home according to where she pointed. Took about five minutes. And never, in my entire life, have I seen such gratefulness in someone's face. She hugged me and blubbered something about having saved her, and offered me money (which I declined) and then she hugged me and ran into her house.
After that I drove back to town and grabbed myself a burger, very visibly to all the drunk people who were out previously, as the night was ending. Got a lot of cheers and "good man!" for that.
So that's my claim to heroism - saving a damsel in distress.
-Fred
She was in complete hysterics, not making any sense, and I managed to calm her to the point where she figured out I wasn't trying to hurt her. All I could get out of her was that someone had tried to do her harm in some way, not sure who or what, but she was obviously terrified. She just sort of flopped to the ground as if by meeting me she just gave up. I sat down next to her and held her hand. Drunk people started circling us and offering drunk people's advice (You've got your evening made, friend! Leave her to me, I'll take care of her! Leave her be, she's just faking for attention! What's going on here horb burb glarg puke!)
I talked to her calmly and explained I was sober. I was also willing to drive her home, my car was visible from where we sat, and I blinked the lights with my keys. I must have one of those faces, because me sitting there in the snow and the cold and holding her head up from the cold of the ground and letting her hand on to my other hand with both of hers; she agreed. Because I promised not to hurt her.
I got her to her feet, put her in my car, then drove her home according to where she pointed. Took about five minutes. And never, in my entire life, have I seen such gratefulness in someone's face. She hugged me and blubbered something about having saved her, and offered me money (which I declined) and then she hugged me and ran into her house.
After that I drove back to town and grabbed myself a burger, very visibly to all the drunk people who were out previously, as the night was ending. Got a lot of cheers and "good man!" for that.
So that's my claim to heroism - saving a damsel in distress.
-Fred
Pirates, vampires, zombies, ninjas, ghouls, aliens, goblins, monsters, robots, sorcerers, undead, werewolves, demons, mutated dinosaur-cyborgs and those pesky phone salesmen! The shotgun is a one-size-fits-all solution!
Wow nice going! I've been helped from deeper waters in the past as a little kid (the power of waves to drag you out are easy to underestimate) so good on ya!
Can't remember anything off-hand right now. I like to help when I can here and there and have tried to help animals when I can. It doesn't always work out in the end but nice when it does.
It's interesting reading peoples stories, amazing stuff!
Can't remember anything off-hand right now. I like to help when I can here and there and have tried to help animals when I can. It doesn't always work out in the end but nice when it does.
It's interesting reading peoples stories, amazing stuff!
(Ruri_Ayanami from the old Tex Murphy ezboard).
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
"I don't believe in intuition, don't know why... just a feeling." - Tex Murphy
Wow, thank you, Sir, for the kind words. Actually, though, nobody made much of a fuss about it at the time except for my dad who made sure I got the interview because, actually, the local paper had a front-page story attributing "the deed" to the guy who was holding the kid for me(I gave her to him while I made the 911 call) when the police/EMS showed up. I was perfectly fine with letting it go until my dad made sure they knew the truth. They later printed a retraction(buried somewhere towards the back).Mr. Thomas Malloy wrote:Dude. Wow. I love you. You're one of those people in this world that make it worth it to be a human being. I'm sure you've probably been sick of hearing it by now, but you saved a kids life. Whether you just happened to be in the right place at the right time is irrelevant. When it came down to it, you were the highest quality human being that you are.
I was thinking about that the other day and...yes, I probably would have jumped down there and pushed him up so I could make sure he got out, even if I might not have. I bet if someone had done such a thing other people would have rushed to help the "rescue the rescuer". But, y'know, could'a, would'a, should'a.Mr. Thomas Malloy wrote:It's a shame you weren't in New York the day that everyone decided to take a photo of a guy getting mowed down on the subway instead of helping him.
Mr. Thomas Malloy wrote: And by the way, you didn't give a crappy interview at all. I think it was well paced, and you spoke from the heart. You don't want an actor when you're shooting for "truth" just genuine "youness" ... people respond better to that methinks. I did anyway. Cheers to you man.
Again, thank you. Also good job on your own story. It reminded me of the event that convinced me to finally say good-bye to that hotel I was working at. This Hispanic male and mixed-race female were arguing in front of the front desk when she said "You're not gonna knife me!" Before that registered with me and I could pull her behind the front desk sure enough he pulled a medium-sized butcher knife on her and forced her out of my reach. He did not kill her, fortunately, just held her there, knife to the throat...talking. Whether it was my presence or not I don't know but he left without doing her much physical harm. I might have tackled him when he was leaving(the police were on their way due to me having been on the phone to one of our security company personnel) but I did not notice he had actually dropped the knife to the floor. So I took care of the female until the police FINALLY showed up 5 minutes after he'd disappeared into the night. I wish I knew whether or not he was caught.
So after that I said bye bye to that hotel and went to working full time at another. These were not the only incidents I was involved in at the hotel, either. Come, be employed as a Hotel Front Desk Staff Member! It's not just a job, it's an Adventure!
Seriously, I'm not the only person who feels/tells people they "survived" that hotel. You'd think we were military veterans or something.And a fine job you did, too, Fred. All it takes is one small act to improve a single life for the better. I know where you are coming from, too. The hotel had an independently-owned bar(perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it a "dive") sharing the same building. I witnessed more than one person come out of there terrified or even bloody.Fred Buer wrote:
So that's my claim to heroism - saving a damsel in distress.
-Fred
"The real world is bizarre enough for me." - Blue Öyster Cult
I suppose maybe the closest I've come is one time when I was playing golf at a course that was right by a highway. A lady drove off the road and into a tree right near where I was. The car was fairly badly damaged, but I was able to use my golf club to break out some of the glass on the window and unlock and open the door and get her out. She was pretty dazed, but otherwise alright. The police and EMTs were very quick to respond so I don't think my getting there made a material difference, but was more being in the right place at the right time.
"But his job went from normal to extraordinary"
Normal? Psssh, they obviously don't know what it is you do at night!
Great story, and thread.
After my beautiful, wonderful girlfriend took her life when I was 17, I've been somewhat obsessed by redemption through good deeds. Rationally, I know how insane this whole position is, but I still feel as guilty ten years later as I did back then.
Now at a desk job with the occasional field trip, I prevent fraud and other malicious acts, which is alright I guess. I like to think, however, that during the one tour I've done, I hopefully did more good than bad, and touched the lives of those I've tried to soothe, despite how tragic an occupation always is.
Normal? Psssh, they obviously don't know what it is you do at night!
Great story, and thread.
After my beautiful, wonderful girlfriend took her life when I was 17, I've been somewhat obsessed by redemption through good deeds. Rationally, I know how insane this whole position is, but I still feel as guilty ten years later as I did back then.
Now at a desk job with the occasional field trip, I prevent fraud and other malicious acts, which is alright I guess. I like to think, however, that during the one tour I've done, I hopefully did more good than bad, and touched the lives of those I've tried to soothe, despite how tragic an occupation always is.
Part-Time Nomad