People Helping. There is much to be done.

People helping. That still energizes me even after all these years. You can make such a huge difference in a persons life if you are willing to get involved and help.

Last week Lauralea and I were having dinner in a lovely little Indian restaurant in the city, when a very drunk individual staggered in and weaved over to our table and started to yell and talk and be very crude and wide ranging in his emotions.  I was patiently waiting for the manager to come in and remove him from the premises.  Well when he came in, he was a diminutive man, an immigrant who was just trying to run his little slice of India. He tried to move the man along but then the inebriated fellow turned on him and started to move towards him. The yelling increased and then came the racist onslaught towards the owner. They were moving away from me now and the drunk fellow had his back to me, but when he started into the whole, "This isn't your country and you should go back to where you came from!" and then brought in something accusatory about natives, that was enough and I was up and moving towards the confrontation. 

I sometimes wonder how I would react in those sorts of events and thankfully this one played out without any great physical violence being done. I was bigger than the staggering fellow and was able to put my arm around him and eventually convince him to come with me outside.  Finally we got him out the door and stood outside while he yelled and then ultimately sobbed in a drunken display and I was his best friend ever. Sadly classic.  I finally got him to move along. 

Upon reflection I had wondered if I might be needed to assist in removing him from the premises, but it was when he became clearly racist that I found myself standing up and moving towards them. I can't stand that garbage.  It just tears down and destroys lives and hearts. 

When I reentered the restaurant I told the man, who was very concerned for my safety, that what the guy had said was a lie. That this was his country and his home and he was very welcome here.   

My conclusion is that there are far worse ways to spend your life, than helping people face the difficult realities of the day. It's good work.

We ate an amazing dinner of Indian wonders and I tipped the guy well because you shouldn't have to face such oppression because of your skin colour or your country of origin or culture or tongue.  I wanted him to know that he was home and among family.