Helping, Honking, and Quieting the Noise

On this election

“But why do they keep yelling?” asked bear.

“Because it’s easier,” replied bird, “to honk than to help.”

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📷: Pride + Pride:full (unpainted)
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Are you going to honk or are you going to help?

Her hands were trembling. That’s what I first noticed as she walked toward me. And those eyes that looked panicked.

Yesterday, I was leaving the post office when the car in front of me stopped in the middle of the street.

Gray hair, slight, a stoop to one shoulder, bright blouse, a large purse held close. Late 70s, I’d guess.

Rolling down my window: “Are you okay?”

Her voice was shaking, her words coming quickly. Her car had suddenly turned off. A warning light flashed. She didn’t know what to do.

I told her I would pull over and help push her car out of the street. Another man joined in, as a line of cars began to pile up behind us.

As we were about to start pushing, the honking started.

First it was one of those polite tap-tap beeps, then someone laying on the horn. Loud and repeatedly.

Wheels screeched, someone cursed, a car came flying up the wrong side of the street, more cursing, more honking, peeling out into the intersection.

… all while a stranger and I helped push this elderly woman’s car to the curb.

There’s a lot of noise in this world of ours.

Noise that doesn’t solve problems. And often creates them.

While most folks are trying to make the most of this one precious life, doing our best, being kind, considerate, a few continue to make noise in ways that we should all find unacceptable.

These folks insult. They demean. They lie. They divide. They cheat.

Trump and Vance are the guys honking in the car, creating a commotion, but doing nothing to help push an elderly woman’s car to the curb.

Somehow, we – and I do mean the collective we – have made it okay to make peripheral noise central to our country. And that’s a problem.

In this election, please choose what’s right and good about our country over political party.

We can disagree – please, let’s disagree as that often creates the best solutions – but let’s no longer validate behavior that we wouldn’t allow our own dinner tables or families.

Are you going to honk or help?