Society, WTF?

Usually I would just chalk my experience up to "Another day in the life of Eva." But, this time- this blatant disregard for another human in need, well, this time it's eating at me.

 SOCIETY? WTF HAPPENED TO YOU?

 I guess that question has been building up in me now for a couple of weeks and today was the tipping point - I just cannot contain myself - I need to vent.

 Let's rewind -over the past couple of weeks I have tripped over hurdles, and crashed into barriers after barriers when trying to find resources for clients in need - I've listen to ignorant rumors and judgments that basically relayed a message not to help people at the bottom of life's roller coaster ride - they weren't worth the time nor the energy. Usually those comments do not get to me but in some recent situations I cannot help it - they did.

Then today my children and I were the ones in need - and society, for the most part, ignored us.



Ignored us as we sat on the side of a busy highway - car broken down - pieces of it scattered in the road. They ignored us as they maneuvered around the wreckage and gawked as they sped away.

No one stopped to see if we were okay.

Pieces of my van that blew off today

No one stopped to see if help was on the way.

No one stopped!

My youngest son, age 15, headed down that highway to find help- a phone or just anyone who would listen to what we needed. He did this because I was unable to make that trek. All of this happened on a day where the heat and humidity was dangerously high and being that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Sjogrens, I do not do well in the heat - the symptoms of my disorders flare like there's no tomorrow. So my 15 year old son took charge and manned up.

What did he get in return?

Ignorance!

No one stopped - those that he did make contact with ignored his plea and told him to keep walking towards town...another mile or so in the dangerous heat.

At one point some drunk slug in a van must have thought my child was target practice for his empty beer can as it was hurled his way, grazing his shoulder, while my son was attempting to do the right thing by his mother...me.

Help arrived almost after an hour of sitting alongside the road - a county deputy was at the end of his shift and heading back to the station. He was kind and helpful  - he called the tow that would eventually take us home after picking up my child walking down the road.

It amazes and dumbfounds me to know that at least 75 - 100 cars passed us on this busy Friday afternoon in tourist land USA - and not one person gave a rat's ass about people who were in obvious need.

Really, Society - what has happened to you?

It reminds me of that ABC News show "What would you do" -

Ya did nothing!

Since getting home I've been trying to battle some "feel sorry for myself" thoughts - The wallowing in my sorrows type thinking - Wondering why I volunteer so damn much when society just doesn't seem to care anymore.

Please note that when I say Society I mean people helping people...just because and not because they know them personally -

Had it not been for my friends tonight sending me kind thoughts of support and offers of help I really think I may have decided never to offer my help ever again. So, a huge thank you to my friends for being there for me and the offers to help as I may, once again, be without a car for while.

But as a society have we've become so skeptical and cold to one another that it's better to be not involved and judge from a distance rather than to get involved and find common ground?

Has the political environment we now have found ourselves living in trained us to disengage rather than to be engaged?

Are we so divided anymore that we do not realize we are here together on this Earth -living side by side?

Really, is it better to point and stare as we walk away whispering to one another about what we THINK we just saw?

Yes, I am a little disgusted today -

It was just a week ago when I was driving with my son and we saw a dog running down the road dragging a rusty chain behind him - My son looked at me in shock when I pulled over to try to find the house the dog came from as I asked people standing in their driveways if that was their dog...

"Mom, why are you doing that - no one does things like that anymore," he said to me.

I was stunned when he said that - shocked those words came out of his mouth after being brought up in a family atmosphere where volunteering is part of our daily world. Now I think I know why he said that...he's been paying attention to society around him -

And then yet today he was the one in need and society ignored him - breaks my heart to know that was a lesson for him today.

Sorry for venting - I just really needed to get this out of my system and ask ---

Society? WTF has happened to you?