This man, and many like him, are the real heroes of America. Image Source: Flickr
Hello everyone. Wanted to share something that happened to me this morning. These days, the word “hero” is thrown about a little too casually. But today, I encountered a true hero. Please share this – maybe it will make its way back to this brave, wonderful man, wherever he is. I would love for him to know how much he meant to me.
Dear Sir driving the black Audi in Silver Lake this morning,
First of all, I want to say thank you. Thank you for reminding me of what’s important in life. For pulling me outside of myself. For making me want to be a better person. But most of all, thank you for alerting all of us to your situation earlier today. All of us – in that five block radius – really needed to know what was going on with you. Sometimes, we get so caught up in our own lives, we forget to check in with you. But there you were, to bravely let us know.
I was on the sidewalk at the corner of Silver Lake Boulevard and Effie Street, waiting to cross the street. You were there, waiting second in line at the red light. But when the light turned green, the car in front of you hesitated for just a moment, and you honked your horn.
Actually, “honked” isn’t really giving you enough credit; you did so much more than that. You threw your entire being into that horn, as if your body was slumped over and dying on it. But it wasn’t your body slumped over and dying, thank heavens. How dark the world would be without your light shining in it. No, it was the palm of your hand, pushing as hard as it could, for as long as you could hold it.
There are few mechanical sound devices available to the masses in which we can express our emotions in such a precise way. Originally, the car horn was intended for light taps – to notify other drivers of danger, our presence, or to lightly say hello with your car. But it was true honk artists such as yourself who really expanded the form. You and your kind have shown us that the horn isn’t just for courteous communication and safety; it’s also for the explosive expression of a deep, unfathomable, beautiful kaleidoscope of rage.
Without your carefully curated, bespoke honk, I can’t imagine where we’d all be this afternoon. I know for a fact that you would have been egregiously late to your appointment if you hadn’t used your car to tell that driver the light was green. In fact, I wonder how different your life would be if you hadn’t had to wait at all!
I shudder to think of the chaos that other, thoughtless driver has created in your world. I can’t even imagine the looks of disappointment you received when you arrived a half-second later than you said you would. If you need me to talk to anyone on your behalf and give an eyewitness testimony of this morning’s incident, I would be happy to do so.
I would be happy to help you, because now we are connected. When you pierced the Los Angeles skies with your song of wrath, I was immediately struck. Literally – it felt like I was being struck by a train – my entire body tensing up in shock. But luckily, a train was not hitting me at all. Your essence was. The energy inside your car had now transferred from you, through the horn, across the airwaves, into my ears, and was now pulsing through my veins like a double dose of bath salts.
Needless to say, our lives became intertwined in that moment. And to think, just seconds before, I was staring off into the distance, wondering how I might want my eggs cooked this morning. How disconnected I was! Thankfully, you drew me outside of myself and into your furyscape.
For all of this, I am grateful to you, Audi man. You woke me up (and probably some sleeping babies, too!). You stood up for what was right. You took action. You made yourself and your values known. The other person sitting there at the light in front of you, faltering for an excruciatingly long moment when it turned green? That person was a bully. And personally, I am sick and tired of bullies, spreading their poisonous attitudes all over the place.
We need more people who are brave enough to stand up against these toxic saboteurs. We need more people to make some noise. We need more people like you. What a profound difference you make. Thank you.
Sincerely,
A freshly woke pedestrian
