A Little Can Mean So Much
I've been accompanying mom for her doctors' visits, and as she is now bedridden, we travel by ambulance.
It's quite an experience sitting in the front passenger seat, watching the driver weave in and out of traffic blaring the siren.
Even more interesting is watching how drivers on the road respond to the ambulance's siren.
Before this, I would always panic whenever I heard the siren come up behind me. I wouldn't know what to do. I remembered being told in school to pull over. But when there's a kerb or barrier... how?! And do I stop or not? If I stop, the car behind may hit me. So how?
Now, from my privileged view in the front of the ambulance, I can see how easy it is to make way.
If every car were to move just a tiny bit to the left or right, there will be enough room for the ambulance to pass through. It is really that easy. Our Malaysian roads are wide enough. The ambulance will usually try to go in between lanes, rather than on extreme left or right.
Even in the worst of jams, I have seen the two lanes in front of us part like the Red Sea. It's amazing how even a little movement can make a big enough difference. And my experience is always one of overwhelming gratitude.
Last week, the traffic was bad and mom wasn't comfortable in the ambulance so the driver tried to make her journey home as short as possible.
There was this one car that seemed completely oblivious to our blaring siren. Even when they switched from the wailing to the more frantic 'yelp', the car just buat tak tau je.
Then, guess what happened. An Indian guy on a motorbike sped past us, cut into our lane, and then cut in front of that car and started frantically signalling to him. Finally, that car noticed us and pulled aside to let us pass.
As we passed the biker, I waved my thanks to him and I was struck by the look of concern on his face. He must have had his own experience of being in an emergency. My gratitude to him was just overwhelming. In that moment, we connected and I felt he and I were brother and sister united in humanity.
It's quite an experience sitting in the front passenger seat, watching the driver weave in and out of traffic blaring the siren.
Even more interesting is watching how drivers on the road respond to the ambulance's siren.
Before this, I would always panic whenever I heard the siren come up behind me. I wouldn't know what to do. I remembered being told in school to pull over. But when there's a kerb or barrier... how?! And do I stop or not? If I stop, the car behind may hit me. So how?
Now, from my privileged view in the front of the ambulance, I can see how easy it is to make way.
If every car were to move just a tiny bit to the left or right, there will be enough room for the ambulance to pass through. It is really that easy. Our Malaysian roads are wide enough. The ambulance will usually try to go in between lanes, rather than on extreme left or right.
Even in the worst of jams, I have seen the two lanes in front of us part like the Red Sea. It's amazing how even a little movement can make a big enough difference. And my experience is always one of overwhelming gratitude.
Last week, the traffic was bad and mom wasn't comfortable in the ambulance so the driver tried to make her journey home as short as possible.
There was this one car that seemed completely oblivious to our blaring siren. Even when they switched from the wailing to the more frantic 'yelp', the car just buat tak tau je.
Then, guess what happened. An Indian guy on a motorbike sped past us, cut into our lane, and then cut in front of that car and started frantically signalling to him. Finally, that car noticed us and pulled aside to let us pass.
As we passed the biker, I waved my thanks to him and I was struck by the look of concern on his face. He must have had his own experience of being in an emergency. My gratitude to him was just overwhelming. In that moment, we connected and I felt he and I were brother and sister united in humanity.
posted by 95% The Advertising Academy at 10:05 AM
2 Comments:
wish there were more of them like the friend on the bike. it is a nice moment.
How touching.....
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