That was an awesome video...some of those were incredible, like the group of people who lifted the car off the biker who somehow got caught under the front end while both the car and bike were on fire. A moment's hesitation is probably what'd happen to me while my brain processed what I was seeing; having leaped to the rescue on a few occasions, I think I'd handle it pretty well. Easy to say that now, of course- but I wouldn't if I had never done so before.
I was living in Landover at the time, this is going back 12 years or so, the apt across from mine caught fire. I heard kids screaming so I went to go check and I see these little kids, with little pots of water in their hands running in to the apartment and then running back out, screaming all the while. I grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall and went in looking for the ignition source; found it in one of the back bedrooms, mattress caught fire so I tried to put it out but that extinguisher didn't have enough juice. Tbh, I was surprised that it worked at all considering the overall shape of those buildings. The guy was a dealer, it was him who was sending those kids to get pans from their aunt who lived on the floor below and try to put the fire out- to save his stash. The fucking idiot; it was the usual madhouse that fires bring- sirens blaring, firefighters about, police response shortly thereafter and all of the residents of the buildings along that row outside to watch the spectacle. Thank God, no one got hurt, no one needed medical attention but still...what could have happened is what spurred me to do what I did- I don't see it as a heroic act, but a necessary one. Everyone else was just watching, someone had to do something.
Once, when I was 12 or 13, we were on a family vacation headed up to the Poconos to spend some time at my uncle's cabin, and we'd stopped at a HoJo's in Sloatsburg (Dane might be familiar with it as it sits square on the NE thruway, or used to) when all of a sudden, this man just drops right in the vestibule. Without even missing a step my Dad went over to him, checked his pulse and breathing and started administering chest compressions; as with most kids I simply watched, not really comprehending what I was seeing. Then the man revived just as EMS was arriving- as it turns out, if it weren't for my father's quick thinking that man would've expired before EMS could get to him. My Dad's one of those guys - he'll do whatever he can to help someone like that and he always would go on how it was always better to help someone else than just yourself. He's a hero- all my life I've tried to be like him; sometimes I'm close and others I'm not, because I'm just me. Still...with that kind of example, I couldn't turn out too bad, right?
