Okay - Laz and Nease cos I have your emails, I'll buzz you both tomorrow about this. If I don't, you guys know to hit panic buttons, and which ones to press (yup, emails coming in a sec)......
I've just given a stranger my bed for the night. No joke, no lie.
Okay, I was in town photographin a friend's jazz gig. We finished, headed up the road to another bar and met a few other friends. On our way home, a young guy (I'm mid-20s, he's maybe about 3 younger than me) passed out - hit his head on concrete in front of us. One friend is a nurse and checked him over. He's ok. But the place he lives is a £30 taxi ride away and he just split up with his girlf who lives down the road. So, I insisted he crash at mine, in my bed, for the night. I'm now sleeping on the sofa, and it is now 4am my time and we got in 30 mins ago.
I judged him not to be a threat to life, liberty, possessions. And I always felt, in principle, I'd do a thing like this if I had to. I just never thought that day would come - I feel safe about it, though, so that's okay. Just putting it out there (here and a few other places) for some 'safety'. I'll post tomorrow afternoon to confirm I'm safe (there's no real doubt, I just don't take stupid risks). If I don't post by 3pm tomorrow (uh....however many hours that is from now.......like maybe 11 hours or so...basically, if I don't post within 24 hours, you'll know to hit the panic buttons. But I'll be safe. I can read him well enough to know, he'll just wake up feeling a bit of a prat and probably a little grateful to get breakfast and a cheap n easy way home tomorrow).
I've just been a good samaritan. No fancying the guy and wanting to take advantage of the situation. Just pure, unadulterated,"I would like someone to help me if I was ever in that situation" kinda vibe. He's asleep in my bed now, and I'm on the sofa.
Weird stuff happens in life sometimes, I guess. Purely spur of the moment call on my part. I feel kinda good, in a weird ("I'm growing older" kinda way. Sorry for posting this here, but I've texted a few local friends I know are up right now, and am gonna post on FB, just covering my back and also sharing.
Like I say, Laz n Nease nHodge will get Pms right now this second with my local contact details - if dont post here within 24 hours, you know where to direct the Liverpool Police (tho, really and realistically, I think that's exaggerating matters extensively, I just don't play around with fire without wearing non-flammable suits, you get me). Thanks!
(c&p'd from an email just sent, cos I'm lazy and a bit tired and need food)
Just a quick line to say I'm safe, alive, and completely unharmed. All my stuff is accounted for (no, my sleeping on the sofa wasn't complete charity at all, but a rather astute decision based off my guitars being in the back room and me wanting to put myself between them and the door.....). Thanks for looking out for me, though - it is massively appreciated.
The young cad is safely on public transport back to Maghull, and I am gonna have some lunch and go do some practice. I don't normally do things as charitable/stupid/delete as you wish as this, but I was convinced it wasn't at all dangerous this time, and if I'd had even the slightest doubt, there is no way I would have done it. But, you never know for sure with these things, so I really appreciate being able to give people heads up just in case I mysteriously vanished and then later turned up on an episode of Missing Persons as a case study. Glad that was avoided. :lol:
Sometimes, I amaze myself. (Even if it was primarily because I didn't feel right about just leaving him in town on his own with no cash, yet was also far too tired to go through with staying up much longer making sure he was safe or having to accompany him to the hospital or something - I don't think it really counts as full on good samaritansism, but close enough I guess).
Glad to hear all is well
:note1: :note1: :note1:
John
That was very nice of you.
My father travels (drives) a lot for his job, and often picks up hitchhikers to make the time go quicker.
On his way home from a trip a few months ago he picked up a kid, about 18, who was living on the streets. According to the kid, he left a physically abusive home and needed to get out of there for his own safety. My father got a good vibe out of him... that he was honest, not drug abuser, etc. Well... at the next gas station he called my step mother and told her that he was bringing him home.
They got home and settled him in. In the morning my father called one of his company's suppliers and asked for his help. Well it turned out that the guy had an open job in the stock room and a free room in a boarding house he owns. He let the kid stay there and work off his room and board.
Fast forward... the kid now lives in his own apartment, is still working at that suppliers company and is on his way to having a great life.
He easily could have hitchhiked his way into the next major city, ran into the wrong crowd, and gone into an awful downward spiral.
I don't know if I recommend picking up hitchhikers and letting them stay with you... this is just one example of an great success story... but... it just shows how little someone can do to completely change someones life. For my father, it was a car ride, a bed for the night and a phone call.
My Fingerstyle Guitar Blog:
http://fsguitar.wordpress.com
My Guitars
Ibanez Artwood AWS1000ECE-NT
Schecter S-1 30th Anniversary Edition
Ovation CS257
LaPatrie Etude
Washburn Rover RO10
Yea you took a bit of a risk but glad it worked out.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
..."there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So you got that goin' for you, which is nice.
Thanks guys
Glad everything turned out as you expected Scrybe! And might smart of you to post for safety reasons. We don't want you going away again and wondering what's goin' on with ya!
Jim
