Haunted...

I've always been one of those people that did whatever they could to help others. Even in emergencies I'm usually the one on the phone trying not to strangle the 911 operator as I repeated things about a million times.

But I still am, and probably will always be haunted by the woman I didn't help in time.

When I was about eight or nine, I was lying in bed, trying to sleep, glaring at the door that separated the living room from the bedroom, as mum's TV was bloody loud. She was watching some drama about rape and when I heard shouts for help, I assumed it was on the telly. I continued hearing them and wondered how long the scene was before drifting off.

I was awoke by my mom coming into the room a half an hour to an hour later, dialing 911. The shouts were from a woman in our front bushes, being beaten with a baseball bat by her boyfriend. She was pregnant at the time...and she lost the baby...because I didn't' act when I heard the first screams for help.

I will never forget, nor forgive myself for not acting quick enough. I will never have a time, when I don't pause and wish I had done something to help save that child's life.

I ask any of you reading this...don't stand by while someone screams...when someone needs help. Too many people do....too many people just stand by and watch when someone is in need. Never think that someone else will help them, never hesitate to get involved. You don't need to jump into the fight....just pick up the bloody phone, so you don't have the nightmares I do, of listening to someone die.

Haunted…

Originally published at Memoirs of a Nobody. You can comment here or there.

I’ve always been one of those people that did whatever they could to help others. Even in emergencies I’m usually the one on the phone trying not to strangle the 911 operator as I repeated things about a million times.

But I still am, and probably will always be haunted by the woman I didn’t help in time.

When I was about eight or nine, I was lying in bed, trying to sleep, glaring at the door that separated the living room from the bedroom, as mum’s TV was bloody loud. She was watching some drama about rape and when I heard shouts for help, I assumed it was on the telly. I continued hearing them and wondered how long the scene was before drifting off.

I was awoke by my mom coming into the room a half an hour to an hour later, dialing 911. The shouts were from a woman in our front bushes, being beaten with a baseball bat by her boyfriend. She was pregnant at the time…and she lost the baby…because I didn’t’ act when I heard the first screams for help.

I will never forget, nor forgive myself for not acting quick enough. I will never have a time, when I don’t pause and wish I had done something to help save that child’s life.

I ask any of you reading this…don’t stand by while someone screams…when someone needs help. Too many people do….too many people just stand by and watch when someone is in need. Never think that someone else will help them, never hesitate to get involved. You don’t need to jump into the fight….just pick up the bloody phone, so you don’t have the nightmares I do, of listening to someone die.