First coming to mind is an encounter I had about 3 weeks ago on my way home from work around 2am. I'm halfway there, about to go into the campus to cross through it, when I hear something that sounded like a plastic cup full of soda hitting the concrete across the street at the gas station. I glanced over, a curious bystander, saw nothing unusual. I kept walking, then heard yelling, so I gazed back once more. I saw a group of maybe 5 or 6 college age guys in a group, and it wasn't until about 10 seconds later that I realized 2 of them were fighting. I slowed my pace, heard the other 4 yelling at one of them to cool off, to cut it out, to back away. I slowed my pace, not sure if they could handle it. The victim of the attacker broke away and started running up the street in the same direction I was (on the other side of the street still). I don't know what the fight was over, but as the other 5 followed, still trying to calm the attacker down, he broke off and started running at the first guy. After that, it was a stream of "Andrew" and "do you want to get arrested" I saw one of them put the other in a headlock, by that time I was in front of one of the dorms, still walking slowly, not certain if the police were needed or if 4 people could overpower 1 drunk person. I caught that tip by listening in, the attacker had been drinking. So I hear behind me "this guy is just staring at them" and I had to tell them, I didn't know for sure if they 4 of them could handle it, or if I needed to call the police. I was completely unsure, and didn't want to get a group of people in trouble with the law for simply being stupid with each other. If it were a random mugging, yes I would have called sooner, but this was just a group of friends out late who had 2 people disagree while one was drunk, maybe I'm just too much of an idealist... I ended up calling 911, turns out someone else had already done so and there were already units on the way. Once I saw the patrol car, I went on my way. I just don't know what to think about stupid people and the law. Who knows, maybe they were even underage. I wasn't just another mindless spectator because I was going to call the police if they couldn't handle the attacker, but I hesitated for so long because I just didn't know. I don't know if I'm trying to justify this to the reader here, or to myself.
On a more positive note, I recently was victim of someone who was generous enough to do a huge favor for a complete stranger. 2 weeks ago, I had a Core Humanities midterm, some ridiculous required course in a series of 3 that teach ancient history, renaissance, and american history which all majors must take if they want to graduate. They are all BS courses for 95% of the students in them, I think it's safe to say. So for the midterm, we had to buy some official packet to write all our answers in, a bunch of notebook paper in a blue paperback cover, for 30 cents at the school store. What a waste of money, I might add, when I can get 100 sheets for 5 cents at walmart... But I forgot to buy one, until 4 minutes before the test. Oops. So I audibly say "Oh Craaaaap." and the guy next to me, a really nice and optimistic person, has the same discussion section as me, sits in the same spot every week, just like me, hears, asks what the problem was, and when I mention I didn't bring a Blue Book, says "Oh, no problem, I brought a spare just for this."
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You hardly know me, I realize it's only 30 cents, but still... I don't know what the penalty was for forgetting to bring a Blue Book, but this random, generous, incredible person saved me from it for no reason other than... what? I truly didn't know.
After getting our grades back a week later, I caught up with him and compared results (I got 80% btw, not bad for not doing any of the reading.) And he explained that someone had done the exact same thing for him last semester in one of his other classes. So I was effectively the next chain in a pay-it-forward kind of deal.
News in my life, I am on the start of a month-or-longer cold turkey cutoff from my computer game addiction. I am currently using my close friend Joey's tiny little netbook, with no ability to download programs nor install content on this user profile. I also agreed to let him put a password on my gaming laptop, rather than taking the step of repossessing my power cord, just in case I do end up needing it and I can text him with a very convincing reason for needing it.
He also helped me clean up the tornado playground known as my bedroom, and helped me buy an actual desk and chair for my room at GoodWill for all of 15 dollars, then transported it, and me, home.
This morning I asked him for help with my personal problems and shortcomings, and he was more than happy to deliver, even at the expense of taking his own plans to do housework and putting them to the side. He gave me advice, drove here and there for me, discussed the sources of my problems and what I needed to do to resolve them, and really lent a listening ear to everything I had to vent about. He even paid for a stop at Taco Bell, with no other request for repayment except that I be happy as soon as I can be and for as long as I can be.
Without sounding like some emotional mess, all I can do is thank him for his selflessness today, and try not to let him down as this month passes. If all goes well, I have a lot of changes in store for my habits, and they should all be for the better.
