He saved a child in the intersection (an ordinary Friday)

Mountain Khakis asked for a 'random act of kindness.' We were definitely not expecting this!

by Scott Bright

What does it take to be bold? Are a small, select group of individuals simply born with a genetic predisposition towards boldness? Some may say yes. But there are others like me who believe boldness is born in the moment. Within all of us is the seed to greatness. I believe a bold action can rise up from within us at any moment. This was the case for me on an ordinary Friday afternoon in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Friday began much like any other day. I woke up, did a couple stretches, checked my email, made some breakfast, and sat down at my computer to get some work done. Today’s agenda: finish the essay for my graduate school application. I sat around for hours typing and deleting combinations of words and sentences until finally, I had nearly reached perfection. I was exhausted and needed a break.

I decided to take a walk and clear my head. It felt great to be outside in a city surrounded by so much life and movement. I eventually reached an intersection where some construction work was being done. There seemed to be a lot of confusion in the area with cars and bicyclists zigzagging around cones. Some pedestrians navigated their way across the intersection in a manner that was similar to the classic videogame Frogger. Ah...just another day in the city.

I personally never liked Frogger, so I figured I would stay put and wait for the walk light to turn green. While I was waiting, a group of school children arrived next to me. In the distance I heard a siren approaching and could make out some flashing lights. Considering the confusion and noise at the intersection, it was actually very hard to hear the siren.

I watched as an ambulance came tearing down the road at high speed. I thought to myself, that doesn’t seem very safe. As the ambulance approached, a lady across the street started yelling in my direction. I couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she was extremely animated. I had been so distracted that I didn't notice the traffic light had changed and the green walk light flashed on. At this point, I realized one of the schoolchildren had began wandering out into the street!

This is when it happened. The ambulance was nearly to the intersection and had no intention of slowing down. The child walked naively into the street; her head pointed at the ground. Time slowed down. I am not sure where it came from, or if I was even aware of it at the time, but it happened. I became...bold. I reached out and grabbed her backpack and lifted her back onto the sidewalk. I did not know I had such strength. The ambulance whizzed by only moments later.

A tragedy may have been avoided. Some may think this was a heroic effort. I think of myself as just a common man placed in uncommon circumstances. In any case, a bold action occurred.

I have often thought back on the incident and tried to pinpoint exactly what triggered my boldness on that day. Could it have been the essay I was writing, or perhaps the lady who yelled at me from across the street? Or was what I had for breakfast? No, it couldn’t have been any of these things. It was merely a random act of kindness, and a rewarding one at that.

Challenge: Do a Random Act of Kindness
Sponsor: Mountain Khakis [ See All Actions Here ]
Action:  "I grabbed a kid by the shirt and stopped her from crossing an intersection as an ambulance came tearing through a red light at full speed."