Actions Speak Louder Than Ignorance

Last Summer, I began working part-time as a cashier and consumer consultant at a record store. I was mildly familiar with the area and its occupants as I had been frequenting the store for several years, but hardly knew any other people in the area. While working over the Summer, I learned a lot more about the community and the people in the general area; Some people were wonderful and kind, but others seemed less nice and made me nervous.

When I was first hired, I had already made two friends from the store who stopped in periodically while I was working. We didn’t know each other entirely well and were nowhere near close to one another, but we enjoyed each other’s company and the same interests. The three of us became closer as we spent more time together, but were mainly unified by two key events.

The first event took place shortly after I met my first friend from the store. (For the purpose of confidentiality, she will be referred to as GK). GK and I hadn’t known each other for very long at this point in time; I knew she was older than me, yet she had an unassuming and innocent manner. We were sitting at the store listening to the man on stage when she stood up to leave for her usual food run. The store’s doorbell chimed as she opened the door to leave and I saw another movement from the corner of my eye.

A few months back, I had had a bad run-in with a man from the store. He was old and frail-looking, but this facade only provided an initial mask upon meeting. Unfortunately, upon seeing him in the store more frequently, his true manner was revealed; He was a predatory figure, in an unhappy marriage, with no comprehension of acceptable behavior in public. He gave unwanted attention to multiple women on multiple occasions in the store and went as far as to invade my personal space as well as another coworker’s personal space.

That night, he had slipped into the store without a whisper. As GK left for her food run, I watched the old man catch her in his sights. He began to move for the door and I made a quick decision; I wasn’t letting GK walk alone, for this man to follow and possibly prey upon her. I sprinted out the door after her, momentarily catching a glimpse of the old man’s stare as I passed him to catch up with GK. She was only a few steps out the door, and obviously uncomfortable with me following her out. Before she could ask me anything, I took her hand as is we were close friends, displaying ‘the buddy system’ to our shadow exiting the store. I then quickly whispered to her, “This man is following you and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Can I walk with you?”

She nodded and we began walking to the pizza place down the street. Almost immediately after I joined GK, the old man left, knowing that I had purposefully intervened. We ate pizza and ultimately became closer that night. The man was reported to my boss, and we didn’t see him for a long time.

The second event happened between me and the other friend of our group. (For the purpose of confidentiality, he will be referred to as AE). AE met GK and me a few months after the first event took place. I was working at the store and it had been quite a slow day. AE came in to shop around while I worked, keeping both eyes and ears out for me as well.

After a while of zero customers, AE excused himself to the bathroom and I began unpacking my lunch behind the counter. As I unpacked, I was aware of movement from the pasta shop across the street but thought nothing of it. I finished unpacking and glanced out the window; The old man came out of the pasta shop and walked across the street toward the record store.

At the sight of him, my bodily reaction was instant. My heart raced, hands sweat, and I shook uncontrollably. He smiled at me through the window and I began to feel afraid and very alone. As the doorbell chimed and the old man took his first few steps into the store, I heard the opening and closing of the bathroom door in the back; AE knew we had a customer.

Before the old man could begin chatting, AE seemed to appear from the bathroom to the front of the man, faster than my comprehension.

“Hello, sir, do you need anything?” AE questioned.

“Nope, just a friend,” he replied.

“Alright, well, (my name) was just on her lunch break, could I ask you to stop by some other time?” AE motioned toward the door.

The man understood AE’s intent exactly and left abruptly.

The three of us have gone our own ways now, although AE and I still remain close friends to this day. The three of us built a friendship out of empathy, and the need to help and protect humanity. Although the full friendship didn’t last between us, what we had had was an understanding of human compassion, involvement, and safety.

AE and I could have made a number of choices in the events we found ourselves witnessing. We could have remained inactive due to ignorance or apathy; Honestly, I’m not sure what could have taken place if either of us decided to remain inactive, but I’m glad that I didn’t have to find that out.

Actions speak louder than ignorance.

Photo by Ryan Howerter on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA