Jumping in with both feet

I am one of those people who jump with out looking. I always have been. It's not to say that I never plan or think things through, I do. But there are times or situations that just require you to jump. To act with out thought or hesitation.

This past week I jumped.

There I was driving my daughter to work, we were almost there. And about 200 feet from where we turn in a man was lying off to the side of the street. There were two young women standing there and their white car stopped a few feet away. I didn't even think, I just pulled over. I threw my phone to my daughter and told her to call 911 and ran to the man... the stranger.

I asked the girls if they hit him or knew what had happened... They told me they saw him lying there and couldn't just drive by either. Afterwards I wondered how many people had drove by with out helping. My mind and actions just went into automatic.

The man was convulsing and bloody. I remember kneeling beside him trying to see what his injuries were... talking to him the whole time. Telling him he wasn't alone, and that we were going to help him. Asking him to calm down, if he could hear me. He kept lifting his head and letting it drop to the pavement so I took off my jacket and put it under his head so he wouldn't hurt himself. I was trying to stay calm myself. His lip was bloody and he had a bad cut over his eye, and there was blood on the pavement and on the back of his head. I checked to see if he was breathing, at one point it seemed as if his breathing stopped. That scared the hell out of me, I am not going to lie. I just kept thinking I could not let this man die... not there. The 911 op. transferred my daughter to the paramedics directly. They told her to tell me to turn him on his side. I had no idea what happened to him and I had no intention of moving him either. His eyes were open but vacant... but at least they weren't rolling back. He wasn't gnawing or gnashing so I wasn't worried about his tongue although I was ready... But I don't even think I could have gotten him on his side. His lips weren't blue, his face wasn't red... So I was NOT going to move him. I just wanted to try to calm him down.

I got his ID out and gave it to some one standing there for the 911 op. Suddenly we had a crowd, before no one would stop, now people crowding and looking. I looked for some kind of medical bracelet or something to explain... just anything. It seem to take forever to hear sirens and really maybe it was 10 minutes maybe a bit longer, but for me it was the weirdest feeling of things happening too fast and not fast enough. I didn't see faces or hear voices, all I saw was this stranger... Preston. Even my own voice sounded odd. I know he could hear because he calmed a little but when he heard the sirens he convulsed more and got combative.

Finally help.... Firemen, police, and paramedics... and I was swept to the side. A female officer asked if I knew him or what happened. I told her I was just driving by and saw he need help. I didn't think I just jumped. She took my info. and told me I could go. Just like that... I felt so completely invested and then told to go. That was when the adrenaline rush hit me oddly enough.... and I started to shake. I looked at my hands and the were covered in his blood... My asthma kicked in and I started to cough which made me gag. My daughter thought I was freaking out and the paramedics I guess were looking at me with concern that maybe I was going to collapse. I wasn't... it was my body now taking over from my mind.

We got into the car and I took her to work, before we got there I pulled over and cried. Not some female silly cry... I wish I could explain it. I wasn't sad. After the fact I felt helpless. And you know how your dreams, or an even plays over in your head like a movie? That is what I did. Wondering if I did things the right way. I mean his injuries weren't life threatening obviously but in those first few moments I didn't know... and walking away I still did not know what caused Preston to end up on the side of the road.  I did call the police dept. and found out he had had a convulsion which caused him to collapse and caused his injuries. The hospital stitched him up and I guess he was fine. The Police officer I spoke to told me that was what had been reported to him. I was relieved.


I just jump in with both feet...no looking. Again, not all the time... In love... In emergencies... rescuing dogs. Is it such a bad thing? I am a passionate woman. I feel strongly and deeply... and depending on the situation I go all in. Because sometimes that is just what you have to do. Go with a leap of faith.

Are you a jump with out looking kind of person?