Lost Chance at Charity: Unable to Stop
Where I run sometimes after work, the Los Gatos Creek Trail, I see a man in a wheelchair, a black man. He has some condition of palsy and/or paralysis, such that he must use his mouth to drive and steer his wheelchair. There's a big bucket like container attached to the apparatus, as well as some other thingies I'm not sure what they are. When he speaks, it's the slurred speech of someone who obviously has very little control over his muscles. I guess his age is maybe 30 or so.
He usually wheels himself to a spot along the trail and faces out, in one lane, and watches people go by. The course I run is always an out and back, so I usually see him both ways. Sometimes runners or bikers that seem to know him will be stopped by him chatting with him, patiently waiting for him to extricate the words from the cage that must be his body.
I have thought to myself, why don't I stop and say Hi? Me, in my excellent marathon runner's shape and body, my limber and muscled limbs, my ability to run and stretch. Yet when I think about it, I wonder if I will insult him, as if he needs someone like me to stop my busy routine and chat with him. How would he perceive me stopping. I don't know him. Would I stop and chat with anyone? Does he want or need me there?
Every time I run by, I see him try to turn his head to see who it is. His head moves slow, as he struggles to move his neck muscles. I've run by his dozens, dozens of times, and never have I stopped. Part of it is I am not sure what to say, or if I will have the patience to listen to him mouth out his words; part of it is fear, fear that I will insult him, or maybe he will like me and want me as a friend and I may not be up to the challenge; part of it is pure vanity, not wanting to stop to interrupt my run.
Yesterday, I was at the start of my run, down at the far end of the trail, and there he was, coming down to turn around. I stopped and looked at him, then down, as I stretched. He parked himself somewhat near me, but not too close. I kept my head down the whole while, and stretched outside the entrance so as not to be too close to him. As I got ready to run, he looked at me. I said hello, wondering if he would return the greeting. As I passed him, he twisted his head and I heard what sounded like a 'Hey.' On the way back, I saw him at another place father up the trail and I wave and he moved his head. I think he was trying to say hi.
Where I run sometimes after work, the Los Gatos Creek Trail, I see a man in a wheelchair, a black man. He has some condition of palsy and/or paralysis, such that he must use his mouth to drive and steer his wheelchair. There's a big bucket like container attached to the apparatus, as well as some other thingies I'm not sure what they are. When he speaks, it's the slurred speech of someone who obviously has very little control over his muscles. I guess his age is maybe 30 or so.
He usually wheels himself to a spot along the trail and faces out, in one lane, and watches people go by. The course I run is always an out and back, so I usually see him both ways. Sometimes runners or bikers that seem to know him will be stopped by him chatting with him, patiently waiting for him to extricate the words from the cage that must be his body.
I have thought to myself, why don't I stop and say Hi? Me, in my excellent marathon runner's shape and body, my limber and muscled limbs, my ability to run and stretch. Yet when I think about it, I wonder if I will insult him, as if he needs someone like me to stop my busy routine and chat with him. How would he perceive me stopping. I don't know him. Would I stop and chat with anyone? Does he want or need me there?
Every time I run by, I see him try to turn his head to see who it is. His head moves slow, as he struggles to move his neck muscles. I've run by his dozens, dozens of times, and never have I stopped. Part of it is I am not sure what to say, or if I will have the patience to listen to him mouth out his words; part of it is fear, fear that I will insult him, or maybe he will like me and want me as a friend and I may not be up to the challenge; part of it is pure vanity, not wanting to stop to interrupt my run.
Yesterday, I was at the start of my run, down at the far end of the trail, and there he was, coming down to turn around. I stopped and looked at him, then down, as I stretched. He parked himself somewhat near me, but not too close. I kept my head down the whole while, and stretched outside the entrance so as not to be too close to him. As I got ready to run, he looked at me. I said hello, wondering if he would return the greeting. As I passed him, he twisted his head and I heard what sounded like a 'Hey.' On the way back, I saw him at another place father up the trail and I wave and he moved his head. I think he was trying to say hi.
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