Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Another Way to Look at the Day

It probably only took seconds for him to realize he'd been left behind.

The staff, too, realized only seconds after the subway door closed - one is missing. I imagine that we will never know what that young man felt as the sensation of aloneness crept over him. As a man with an intellectual disability who requires a lot of care, he's seldom, if ever, really alone.

The staff, terrified for the safety of the one left behind, gets off at the next stop.

Travels back.

He's gone.

No longer there.

Acting quickly the staff alerts security, alerts his agency, and moves to take care of the others travelling with him. Much happens quickly. The subway is soon shut down and a search is begun. It took maybe twenty minutes, a half an hour, for the search to begin in earnest.

Unaware of the fuss being caused. He thinks. He has to rely on himself. There is no one to tell him what to do or where to go. He reasons, and in doing so discovers that he can reason, he is here in the subway to take a train.

A train comes.

He takes the train.

He sits looking out the window, every few minutes the train pulls into a new stop. He looks and sees no one he recognizes. But not to worry, there will be another stop outside the window soon. So he waits. He sits alone. And waits.

Stops fly by. He is now only a traveller. He does not know that there is a storm of concern rising. Everyone now knows he is missing. There is worry that he left the station. But why would they think that. He reasoned. His reasoner worked. It will, in a couple of hours, surprise them as much as it had surprised himself.

The train now comes to a stop. A man he doesn't know identifies himself. He doesn't know this man, but he knows he has a uniform. He knows he's been found.

And he was grateful.

But oh, what a wonder it was, to be lost.

Just for a little time.

4 comments:

  1. Oh this story sends my mind back to at least five similar situations--only because I'm so old folks, and have been around a long time--not because I routinely lose people.:)

    In every situation the things they all had in common, were the surprising survival skills, creativity and self reliance the individuals demonstrated.

    In all cases, a good time was had by the person who was "lost" either on purpose or accidentally, but not by the poor staff who were out there looking for them.

    Maybe that's why I like the old movie The Dream Team. People have way more inside them than we give them credit for!

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  2. Wow Dave.....this story scares the bejeezus out of me! But also inspires me to believe in my Ryan!

    Thanks again as usual! :)

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  3. Having never had an opportunity to make ANY life decisions before it blew me away when a friend of mine, given the first opportunity so profoundly and clearly made a massive life decision for himself. Trust and space is what it took and he did it so beautifully and is a way that the owned. This did not spare him the pain and anguish and fear we all face when making life changing choices, but it did as it did for the guy on the train affirm
    to him that he can do it!

    More space and more trust, I'd say.

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  4. This story popped into my mind immediately yesterday when I was looking through a catalog and saw a charm that said, "All Who Wander Are Not Lost"

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