Why is no one helping?
Barbara Porter
Customer executive driving performance and engagement across the enterprise through goal-aligned strategy, culture development, revenue growth, and business transformation
Last week I landed at O’Hare airport, anxious to get home. With thousands of other people focused in our own thoughts, with places to go, people to see, meetings to attend and caught up in the hectic pace of life and travel, I walked briskly, phone in one hand, roller bags in the other and passed by an elderly woman in a wheel chair, crying to herself and asking out loud, “why is no one helping me?”. She was at Gate B11, passengers all around, airline personnel at the gate and hundreds of people walking by. I also walked by. I was on the phone confirming my transportation as her words sunk in. “Why is no one helping me? I turned around and as I walked back to her, I saw many other people look over in her direction and walk by, just as I did. As I spoke with her, she was scared, traveling alone and did not understand why she did not land in Minneapolis and why no one was helping her. I went and got her a bottle of water and she asked if I worked here. I said no, I just landed and was concerned about her. I explained how connecting flights worked and I found an airline employee to make sure she got where she was supposed to be. I thought about her all weekend. I also thought about how I almost continued to walk by ---- what is happening to me, to us, to caring about others? 24x7 we are bombarded from every conceivable channel and device with violence, distrust and negativity. Are we becoming immune to the needs of others? I can only speak for myself, but it concerned me that, for a moment, it became all too easy to forget my responsibility to watch out for another person. Imagine, if each one of us looked out for each other, perhaps we could turn the tide of events we are seeing, one person, one moment, one interaction at a time.
Independent Medicare Insurance Broker & Life Insurance
7yWhat a great example Barbara of the importance of being a good samaritan. The world would be a better place if all of us could follow this example.
Entrepreneur
7y....yes we are indeed becoming prone to catching signals from gadgets rather than from people better!
Founder | Agriculture | Blended Finance | ClimateTech
7yEmpathy! The more I travel and the more I experience, the more I feel a general lack of empathy. Thank you for stopping and thank you for sharing Barbara. For those of us who always walk past, your words serve as the witness we never think sees us as we normalize/rationalize our actions and stroll on by with more 'pressing, personal issues' to tend to. When I lived in Malawi my walk to work was 1 km down a slow incline, as I walked to the office every day, a man in a wheelchair, across the road, would be pushed up the street by a 'jogger' - most days that 'jogger' was a different person. They would spot the man in his chair and sprint behind him to relieve his tired arms. At the top of the hill, the 'jogger' would slow down to a brisk walk, and the two would go their separate ways. Every day. Not once did I see this man wheel himself up that slow, tired incline of 1000 meters. An experience I can never forget, and like your story, serves as a witness every time I find myself shying away from empathy.
SaaS Provider Optimizer at Heidrick & Struggles
7yI'm at the airport now, with my husband on a long wait for a connecting flight. I noticed a man shaking his head and checking his phone at the charging station. From what I can tell from his limited English, he needs to call his brother back and his phone just died; it doesn't seem to be charging. I can get by with 60% charge, so he's charging now at warp speed, thanks to my husband maniacal obsession with personal electronics. It is so easy to help someone out, and even easier to look right past someone who could really use help. (It look like my husband is giving him one of our chargers. I hope so, because we have plenty!)