so while i was out today, i saw an old man fall in the parking lot. he fell from his car and hit his face on the concrete and didn’t get up. without thinking, i sped into the parking lot, put my car in park, and got out. i left my purse, my ipod, and the car running. i hurried to this guy’s side, dialed 911, and handed my phone to somebody else. i then proceeded to speak to this man. his name was joe. joe knew his birthday, and that he was bringing his friend to the restaurant to have lunch together. joe couldn’t remember anything else. he didn’t even know how he fell or what month and year it was. some people brought napkins, so i tried to help clean him up. but joe was on blood thinners, so no matter how much i wiped it, he just kept bleeding. his skin was so thin that when he fell, he nearly ripped his nose from his face. skin was hanging off of it, his arm was quickly turning purple, and the ground had a pool of the brightest blood i had ever seen. i kept this man coherent and sitting down until the EMTs arrived, helped them out as i was asked, and watched them leave. i then got back in my car, and sat there for a few moments. not once during this situation did i panic, or get stressed. but when i got back in the car and sat for a minute or two, it all just came rushing at me. i felt like crying. my chest hurt. i had dried blood on my hands. it was just all a shock. i didn’t know whether i should feel proud that i was so calm, or scared that i didn’t feel anything while looking at an old man bleeding profusively. eventually i managed to drive off to my original destination, wash my hands, and continue on with my day. but it was scary, you know? this sort of stuff happens and…not a lot of people stopped for him. i feel like if i hadn’t stopped, joe would have just laid there until he bled out. people drove past and walked past like nothing happened.