Much like a Nutri-Grain Bar...

Yes, the "Bystander Effect" does seem to be spreading, but occasionally one can catch a good deed that completely rebels to the idea of the B.E. For example, I was riding in the car with my dad the other day when I saw something completely amazing and unexpected, complete strangers helping one another.

On the way to Palio's Pizza, my favorite, my dad and I saw an elderly man stuggling to overturn some trashcans that the trashmen had carelessly thrown into his muddy driveway. My dad sighed with a sorrowful expression on his face, "Should I help him?" he asked me, just as I was about to answer, another man pulled off the road. A young man, in his nice business attire stepped out a new Mercedes Benz and made his way to the elderly man. The young man uprighted the trashcans from the mud, smiled and shook the elderly man's hand and then went on his way. An act so simple, yet it sparked millions of thoughts in my head.

We are taught to stay on our guard, not to trust anyone, be aware of our surroundings, don't talk to strangers; but yet this man, not knowing anything about the elderly man took the time to stop and help. Maybe we are all too fearful of one another, the reprocussional effects of our decisions. Maybe if we all just stopped and took a breath to realize there is more to this life than just surviving.

Like the Nutri-Grain commercial, the ad claims that one good nutritional decision will lead to another, maybe one good act will lead to more. After seeing the young man, I was inspired to get out there and not be so fearful of everything, to take action and help those who clearly need help, to not be a Bystander.


Picture Citations:

"Nutri-Grain Ad." Bing.com/NutriGrainAd. Web. 9 Oct. 2010. <http://www.couponing101.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/nutri-grain-strawberry-8ct.jpg>.