Contributed by V.M. Tackett
What is a true act of compassion? I think we’ve all done little acts of kindness, like opening the door for someone or giving up your seat on the bus for the little old lady. But, what is a true act of compassion?
As I sit in my vehicle in a parking lot facing a very busy roadway, I notice a group of teenagers. There was about 10 in the group, plus one little girl around 8 years old. It was obvious that the group of teens were wanting to cross the busy roadway. With no break in the traffic, one of the teenage boys left the group and darted his way through traffic to get to the otherside of the roadway. Once he was across, he began waving his hands in the air in triumph. I thought, “What a selfish act. He left his friends and risked his life to get across the roadway first.”
Shortly after he made his way across, his friends followed his path, throwing caution to the wind to get across. The only ones left to get across was one teenage girl and the small child. But, because of peer pressure, they would eventually take the chance to cross. However, out of the blue, the first teenager to make it across took a second chance, and he ran back across the busy roadway. He picked up the small girl and helped them both cross safely by holding up his hand to stop traffic, making the drivers aware that there was a small child. I thought to myself, “My first impression of this teen as a thoughtless selfish person was totally wrong. His thoughts were with the safety of the child.”
A lot of times true acts of compassion will go even deeper than this. Like police officers, firefighters and all first responders, who will go above and beyond the call of duty. These individuals do not receive extra pay or bonuses for their acts, but they readily put their lives on the line without hesitation (i.e. 9/11).
But, what’s more, astonishing to me is when average citizens, people you don’t even know, put their lives on the line for no other reason but to save their fellow human being from certain death. Sometimes at the cost of their own life (i.e. Flight 93).
But, it’s not just past heroism, I feel it happens every day, because true acts of compassion happen, not for the publicity or the hype, but for the empathy we all have for one another. Regretfully, however, not all will answer that call to help their fellow human being. I feel it’s the fear for self-preservation that stops most from taking that step to put themselves in the line of fire so to speak. But, those who do deserve the highest of admiration from all of us, because where would this world be without those who act so selflessly for someone they don’t even know?
