Springfield, Missouri, "On the Nod"...

[Ozark Wizard]

So I went into the bustling metropolis of Springfield, MO, for the monthly run for coffee, grains, and sundries otherwise unobtainable around the forest dwelling here. Stopping for lunch, while eating, I happened to look out the window and notice a gentleman in shorts, tanktop and motorcycle helmet on walking to a black bike in the parking lot. He was rather small in stature, and his Harley looked heavy to him as he sat upon it. In almost no time, he slowly leaned his head down on the console and relaxed. After a minute of that, he sat up abruptly, threw up the kickstand and began to (try to) back the bike out of the parking spot.

He couldn't budge it.

He then dismounted and walked out of sight, patting himself down, as if looking for, oh, I dunno, maybe his keys? He walked back shortly and was now vigorously digging through his back pack, pockets, checking the ground, looking frantic. All of a sudden, he bent way over his bike, and just rested there for ten minutes or so. I had almost finished my meal when he jumped up, got on his bike, and started pushing and pulling it back and forth in the parking spot. He was looking wobbly and exhausted. Mind you, it's about 97 degrees out, and the heat index had it over a hundred. Although he is in poor garb for motorcycle riding, his black full face helmet must have been stifling. Yup, he never took it off, and the visor was closed. I went to the restaurant manager and expressed my concern, and she said, "Yah, that ****er left his needle in the men's room and a mess, he needs to leave the premises." I looked at her and walked out.

I went around the outside of the building to see if I could talk to him, but wasn't sure how to approach him. He was obviously under the influence of something, and he shouldn't keep on with trying to ride that big bike when it seemed more likely he was going to end up under it. So I called an ambulance. Yup. Medical help is what he needs, not law enforcement. As I saw it, the only immediate crime he was committing was self endangerment. As long as he didn't get his ride started.

I waited until they showed up, and explained what I thought might be going on. We then approached him and asked him if he would like to wait in the nice cool ambulance and have some water, after removing his helmet. That was our condition. The EMTs and I talked to him for a while to get him calmed down, as he was agitated. He was not making a lot of sense, but he calmed down after cooling off and then falling asleep. Police arrived shortly after the EMTs had him secured in the back of the van. They said he was on really good Heroin. Never saw anyone "On the Nod", as the slang goes.

Pretty wild.

 

[kitobi]

oh a true story, I was waiting for the punch line...

hope he gets the help he needs

 

[Ozark Wizard]

oh a true story, I was waiting for the punch line...

hope he gets the help he needs

The punch line?

Very well........................

I'm making a point to restrict my travels to quarterly runs. Civilization is not what it's cracked up to be. The crux of the joke is y'all let it happen, no, strike that. DEMANDED it. I guess you get what you pay for after all!

 

[AJ]

oh a true story, I was waiting for the punch line...

hope he gets the help he needs

The punch line?

 Very well........................

    I'm making a point to restrict my travels to quarterly runs. Civilization is not what it's cracked up to be. The crux of the joke is y'all let it happen, no, strike that. DEMANDED it. I guess you get what you pay for after all!    

I agree but can you tell me why mankind is so bent on destroying itself? :scratch:

AJ

 

[Ozark Wizard]

oh a true story, I was waiting for the punch line...

hope he gets the help he needs

The punch line?

 Very well........................

    I'm making a point to restrict my travels to quarterly runs. Civilization is not what it's cracked up to be. The crux of the joke is y'all let it happen, no, strike that. DEMANDED it. I guess you get what you pay for after all!    

I agree but can you tell me why mankind is so bent on destroying itself? :scratch:

AJ

Perhaps because of the illusion that 'Self' Is separate from 'Other'. Many philosophies speak of a continuity of all things. We lack direction, and wander around looking for a quick fix, not aware we have the solutions inside us. Society offers little hope. Indeed, it does it's best to make us think we are less than we truly are!

Jesus of Nazareth put it like this: (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)
“Timeless truth, I tell you: 'whoever believes in me, those works which I have done he will also do, and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to the presence of my Father.' “

He also implied: "I can guarantee this truth: This is what will be done for someone who doesn't doubt but believes what he says will happen: He can say to this mountain, 'Be uprooted and thrown into the sea,' and it will be done for him."

If it can be held true when He also said, "The Father and I are one", then we can agree that though He was not saying He was God, but that He was aware of a connection beyond what shepherds and fishermen of a couple of thousand years ago were aware of, He was speaking of a relationship to the whole cosmos and creation that made it possible to do what He did, as He said we can all do, with that smidge of mustard seed sized Faith.

The folks then killed Him for talking that stuff. Though it may have been required to balance the books, it was yet another immediate example of self destructive tendencies that humans indulge themselves in. You never know what you have until it's gone, eh?

Disclaimer:

This is for the benefit of those of us with a Western Middle Eastern bend to our beliefs. Those whom may hold other beliefs, as I understand them, will bear with us. This by no means assumes ultimate truths, and makes no efforts to coerce a change in life approaches. I personally apologize for offending anyone for this script. I was at a forum and gave a comparative talk, so I'm on a roll............

And off the soap box I fall.........

 

[Brewdude]

Not sure what I can add to this except it seems you did the right thing Ozzie, under the circumstances. Who would've known the guy was shooting up based on casual observation? And that he wasn't obviously a down-and-out junkie who rode a Harley!

Sad, really!

:no:


No Cheers,

RR

 

[Old Nate]

Sad to see ppl in that state. And it's happening around us more and more but still very foreign to my eyes. I hope occurrences like that remain shocking but I fear they are becoming more "normal" although what do I know. Ugh.

 

[RDPipes]

This is something I don't make public and haven't but, considering the thread I'll let you in on a little something. In my younger days I did all sorts of things immoral, illegal, etc. one of which was the use of drugs, heroin as one of them. I've seen many lives destroyed by it, close and not so close friends. One day I just quite like I did alcohol but, one close friend took it up a year or so later. You can't tell them to quit, that only makes them do it more, so I said nothing but, the occasional, Slow it down Buddy" in hopes he'd have the same sense I did. Just a little back history here, a few tears back the two of us had our eye on a certain lady friend that we both worked with, he was faster to the draw then me, being rather shy around women then. After they started dating I still had feelings for her but, kept them to myself. They eventually got married and it was around that time he had starting doing heroin and yes, he introduced it to her. We had a falling out later when he met the wrong people, at least that's what I contributed it to. They both continued to do heroin and one day she over dosed and died. I may be wrong for thinking this way but, he killed her and I've never forgave him. He became a so called preacher later. I reckon he thought that might fix his guilt or the guilt he should have. Needless to say I don't know what happened to him after that and don't much care. I haven't had anything to do with drugs or alcohol in over 20 years now and my life style has change drastically for the better, in my opinion. I reckon my message here is that drugs and alcohol can destroy lives, I've seen and experienced it first hand. Oh, I know some say, "That'll never happen to me, I know how to control it!" Bullshirt! I've seen these very same people unknowingly destroy the lives they could've had. Nuff said, hell I may have said too much. :fpalm:

 

[AJ]

No Ron in my opinion you didn't say too much. Those that have "been there and done that" can give insight to the tragedy and destruction from a first hand point of view. Personally I think you should keep telling this story over and over to anyone that will listen. Who knows what person may pay attention and make the right choice? :sunny:

AJ

 

[RDPipes]

No Ron in my opinion you didn't say too much. Those that have "been there and done that" can give insight to the tragedy and destruction from a first hand point of view. Personally I think you should keep telling this story over and over to anyone that will listen. Who knows what person may pay attention and make the right choice? :sunny:

AJ

AJ, I have little hope for mankind anymore, the only thing they have on their minds is themselves and their pleasures and damned if you stand in there way. The last time any of them thought of someone else was when that someone got in there way.
Although the little hope I have left hopes they'll turn around at some point before they drag everyone around them down with them. But, as history shows, that's slim to none sir.

 

[AJ]

No Ron in my opinion you didn't say too much. Those that have "been there and done that" can give insight to the tragedy and destruction from a first hand point of view. Personally I think you should keep telling this story over and over to anyone that will listen. Who knows what person may pay attention and make the right choice? :sunny:

AJ

AJ, I have little hope for mankind anymore, the only thing they have on their minds is themselves and their pleasures and damned if you stand in there way. The last time any of them thought of someone else was when that someone got in there way.
Although the little hope I have left hopes they'll turn around at some point before they drag everyone around them down with them. But, as history shows, that's slim to none sir.

You may be right Ron. Again just my opinion, and I'm stepping out on a limb here, but when this Nation turned it's back on God by kicking him out of our schools, our justice system and Government, and we have kicked him out of our homes and so many deny His existence I believe there's a good chance that apart from God man has no chance and we can see the evidence in the events happening around us. There's a Scripture that says, "Professing themselves to be wise they became fools."

AJ

 

[RDPipes]

"Professing themselves to be wise they became fools." EXACTLY!

 

[Ozark Wizard]

"Professing themselves to be wise they became fools." EXACTLY!

Aw heck guys, I'm the most foolish person I know. That just makes me wary of entertaining \the thought of wandering off my path....

Ron, you are right not to place faith in mankind. Everyone is just doing the best they can in desperate times. Rest your faith in something solid and eternal. Oh, and do tell others about your experiences. Some of my favorite libraries walk about on two legs!

It has been said that there is a heroin epidemic. When exactly was it not? Pre snake oil sales?? I mean, those poppies have been a commodity for a long time.

 

[RDPipes]

"Professing themselves to be wise they became fools." EXACTLY!

Aw heck guys, I'm the most foolish person I know. That just makes me wary of entertaining \the thought of wandering off my path....

Ron, you are right not to place faith in mankind. Everyone is just doing the best they can in desperate times. Rest your faith in something solid and eternal. Oh, and do tell others about your experiences. Some of my favorite libraries walk about on two legs!

It has been said that there is a heroin epidemic. When exactly was it not? Pre snake oil sales?? I mean, those poppies have been a commodity for a long time.

Your right sir, it's been around since the beginning of time, it's no stranger and at one time was prescribed as a standard pain killer over the counter, under other names of course.

 

[AJ]

"Professing themselves to be wise they became fools." EXACTLY!

Aw heck guys, I'm the most foolish person I know. That just makes me wary of entertaining \the thought of wandering off my path....

Ron, you are right not to place faith in mankind. Everyone is just doing the best they can in desperate times. Rest your faith in something solid and eternal. Oh, and do tell others about your experiences. Some of my favorite libraries walk about on two legs!

It has been said that there is a heroin epidemic. When exactly was it not? Pre snake oil sales?? I mean, those poppies have been a commodity for a long time.

Your right sir, it's been around since the beginning of time, it's no stranger and at one time was prescribed as a standard pain killer over the counter, under other names of course.

It still is being prescribed. Morphine, Oxycodone, and etc. are being prescribed daily. For some it is beneficial but to others it's addictive and/or deadly.

AJ

 

[Psmith]

Having grown up in Vancouver, BC, which has a huge population of drug addicts, I have seen my fair share of what you witnessed Oz. In Vancouver heavy drug use is so open and rampant that the city provides safe injection sites for junkies to come, get free needles and shoot up without having to do so in alleyways or on the front steps of businesses. There is a huge section of the city called the downtown eastside that is like a living museum of human decay. Literally thousands of people who for whatever reason live in filth completely strung out. It exists to that magnitude because Vancouver is very liberal and soft on drug use and we have the warm weather so many of those in Canada on skid row end up there.

Conversely I have lived in the far east for over a decade where its the polar opposite. Drugs are almost non-existant, conformity is the norm and people don't seem to fall through the cracks of life quite the way they do in North America. I think its due to a stronger desire to save face and stronger family support. On the surface it looks great here but then again the country I am living in now has the second highest rate of suicide in the world. Guess things aren't so peachy really.

I believe what you witnessed is just a symptom of living in a society where people have some freedom to make choices be they good or bad.

Its nice to hear that you were a good samaritan to that guy. Maybe he comes from a really troubled past that he never asked for like abuse or a broken home. Maybe he's just a guy that can't hack the usual pressures of life. Either way he was lucky to cross paths with someone willing to help. Who knows? Maybe he will turn his life around due to your actions. It sometimes happens.

 

[Psmith]

I wanted to say thanks for sharing your story Cart. You won a battle back there in your past and I admire you for it.

Reminds me of something I read inscribed on a temple in Vietnam:

"It's better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell."

 

[RDPipes]

Thank you sir, maybe it'll do someone some good.

 

[fishnbanjo]

banjo

 

[KevinM]

At the beginning of the 21st century, translating the Parable of the Good Samaritan into charitable action can be a challenge for anyone. In the biblical story, the Samaritan is seen as a symbol of the pure good neighbor. He seems without awareness that he could himself be robbed or stabbed or beaten for his kindly efforts. The victim in the parable is also pure. There's no suggestion that he "brought this on himself"  in any way. He was attacked, robbed and left in a ditch for dead. Scripture omits a big chunk of the story. Today's Samaritans often need to be aware that they are possibly putting themselves in harm's way. Maybe probably.  I'd say that the strategy of trying to calmly engage the cyclist and call an ambulance to do the heavy lifting was both neighborly and sensible.  Well done.