1/
She almost ran me over. Right outside the Grady entrance by Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.
Her: "Sorry, 'scuse me!"
She blew by panting and didn’t even look in my direction. As she did, her right shoulder shrugged hard to secure the diaper bag sliding off of it.
Me: “It’s okay.”
She almost ran me over. Right outside the Grady entrance by Jesse Hill Jr. Drive.
Her: "Sorry, 'scuse me!"
She blew by panting and didn’t even look in my direction. As she did, her right shoulder shrugged hard to secure the diaper bag sliding off of it.
Me: “It’s okay.”
2/
Her young face was troubled and full of urgency and determination. Too much urgency if you asked me. But so very determined.
The next words she spoke were for the preschooler who, instead of keeping up with her, was studying me.
Her: "Come on! I said we in a hurry!"
Her young face was troubled and full of urgency and determination. Too much urgency if you asked me. But so very determined.
The next words she spoke were for the preschooler who, instead of keeping up with her, was studying me.
Her: "Come on! I said we in a hurry!"
3/
I playfully raised my eyebrows and wiggled my fingers at the child who, instead of smiling back, recoiled toward her mother. Still, as they passed me by, she craned her neck keeping those eyes trained on me in my long white coat.
My long white coat.
Oh yeah, that.
I playfully raised my eyebrows and wiggled my fingers at the child who, instead of smiling back, recoiled toward her mother. Still, as they passed me by, she craned her neck keeping those eyes trained on me in my long white coat.
My long white coat.
Oh yeah, that.
4/
I started to announce that I didn't have any shots. But there wasn't time.
Nope.
They were clearly on a mission. Headed somewhere fast. Our little exchange didn't even register with mom. She reached down and quickly pulled the child in close.
And that was the end of that.
I started to announce that I didn't have any shots. But there wasn't time.
Nope.
They were clearly on a mission. Headed somewhere fast. Our little exchange didn't even register with mom. She reached down and quickly pulled the child in close.
And that was the end of that.
5/
In the other hand was the tiny palm of a toddler. His cherubic face had perfectly symmetric features; this was made even more noticeable by the fuzzy trim of his coat hood tightly covering his head. Gait still wide-based and staggering. Barely keeping up.
He let out a yelp.
In the other hand was the tiny palm of a toddler. His cherubic face had perfectly symmetric features; this was made even more noticeable by the fuzzy trim of his coat hood tightly covering his head. Gait still wide-based and staggering. Barely keeping up.
He let out a yelp.
6/
I felt like I should've done something. But instead I stood frozen like some voyeuristic statue wondering how to insert myself into her urgency.
Sigh.
I wanted to call out to her, "Can I help? Where are you headed so fast?"
My mouth opened to say it--but nothing came out.
I felt like I should've done something. But instead I stood frozen like some voyeuristic statue wondering how to insert myself into her urgency.
Sigh.
I wanted to call out to her, "Can I help? Where are you headed so fast?"
My mouth opened to say it--but nothing came out.
7/
Then, all of a sudden, like some kind of gun was shot in the air at a Triple Crown race, something changed. Her fast-paced strut erupted into a run. Which quickly shifted into a discombobulated jog.
That overfilled diaper bag now pulled across her torso, bouncing behind her.
Then, all of a sudden, like some kind of gun was shot in the air at a Triple Crown race, something changed. Her fast-paced strut erupted into a run. Which quickly shifted into a discombobulated jog.
That overfilled diaper bag now pulled across her torso, bouncing behind her.
8/
"Owwwww. . .hoooo. . hoo!"
That toddler had words of protest when her hand grip clamped down like a vice. Cheeks turning red and mouth open and panting, she pulled him right along.
At this point his toes now did nothing but graze the concrete.
Urgency. Even more now.
"Owwwww. . .hoooo. . hoo!"
That toddler had words of protest when her hand grip clamped down like a vice. Cheeks turning red and mouth open and panting, she pulled him right along.
At this point his toes now did nothing but graze the concrete.
Urgency. Even more now.
9/
Next that pre-kindergartner melted into a pool of tired whimpering. Complete with the little kid noodle legs.
"Ma-meeeeee!"
But wherever she had to go, it was important and it was now. Too important and too now to fight against synchronous crying fits or gelatinous legs.
Next that pre-kindergartner melted into a pool of tired whimpering. Complete with the little kid noodle legs.
"Ma-meeeeee!"
But wherever she had to go, it was important and it was now. Too important and too now to fight against synchronous crying fits or gelatinous legs.
10/
She dug in deeper, strengthened her resolve and gritted her teeth. Next her head swung from side to side because she was talking to both of those kids this time. Out came something that sounded like a mix between growling and pleading.
Her: *gritted teeth* "Come ON!”
She dug in deeper, strengthened her resolve and gritted her teeth. Next her head swung from side to side because she was talking to both of those kids this time. Out came something that sounded like a mix between growling and pleading.
Her: *gritted teeth* "Come ON!”
11/
Tired toddlers and pre-schoolers don't get this language, though, so it fell on covered ears.
More crying.
More whimpering.
More noodle legs.
And statue-me still standing there frozen on that same square of asphalt.
Rooting for her to win.
Whatever race she was in.
Tired toddlers and pre-schoolers don't get this language, though, so it fell on covered ears.
More crying.
More whimpering.
More noodle legs.
And statue-me still standing there frozen on that same square of asphalt.
Rooting for her to win.
Whatever race she was in.
12/
Her bag was now swung all the way around to her back & the two small children holding her hands floated behind her running legs like two human kites.
Then, from the corner of my eye I saw it as she ran diagonally across the street as fast as she could.
The MARTA bus.
Aah.
Her bag was now swung all the way around to her back & the two small children holding her hands floated behind her running legs like two human kites.
Then, from the corner of my eye I saw it as she ran diagonally across the street as fast as she could.
The MARTA bus.
Aah.
13/
Almost there.
But then, just as she came gasping onto the curb with those kids in tow, the automatic door closed and the bus blasted her and her human appendages with tailpipe exhaust.
Then pulled away from the stop.
Just as they'd reached the door.
Damn.
Almost there.
But then, just as she came gasping onto the curb with those kids in tow, the automatic door closed and the bus blasted her and her human appendages with tailpipe exhaust.
Then pulled away from the stop.
Just as they'd reached the door.
Damn.
14/
Breathlessly, she slowed down, looked skyward and then let out a sigh. Her next few steps appeared defeated and tired, but not even three steps later she shook it off and seemed to return to normal.
Kind of like she was used to losing.
Breathlessly, she slowed down, looked skyward and then let out a sigh. Her next few steps appeared defeated and tired, but not even three steps later she shook it off and seemed to return to normal.
Kind of like she was used to losing.
15/
She finally picked the toddler up and planted him on her hip. He plunged a thumb into his mouth and melted into her neck. Next she used two saliva-covered fingers to tidy up his face and then, with a second finger lick, the preschooler's.
It was so loving. And unrushed.
She finally picked the toddler up and planted him on her hip. He plunged a thumb into his mouth and melted into her neck. Next she used two saliva-covered fingers to tidy up his face and then, with a second finger lick, the preschooler's.
It was so loving. And unrushed.
16/
What was most striking was that neither child was reacting to missing that bus. The daughter perched her face skyward, cooperating with her mom. And the toddler pacified himself.
No tears, no nothing.
Calm.
Accepting.
Kind of like they were used to losing, too.
What was most striking was that neither child was reacting to missing that bus. The daughter perched her face skyward, cooperating with her mom. And the toddler pacified himself.
No tears, no nothing.
Calm.
Accepting.
Kind of like they were used to losing, too.
17/
A horn honked and we all startled. All of a sudden somebody yelled in her direction. Loud.
"Heeeey! Hey little mama!"
It was a dude with his head and arms hanging out of the window of that MARTA bus. Stopped smack in the middle of the intersection and waiting.
On them.
A horn honked and we all startled. All of a sudden somebody yelled in her direction. Loud.
"Heeeey! Hey little mama!"
It was a dude with his head and arms hanging out of the window of that MARTA bus. Stopped smack in the middle of the intersection and waiting.
On them.
18/
I secretly cheered inside of my heart as they hustled over toward that bus that they obviously needed to make. My frozen body began melting and my feet shoved off toward wherever I had initially meant to go.
But not before casting one more glance in their direction.
I secretly cheered inside of my heart as they hustled over toward that bus that they obviously needed to make. My frozen body began melting and my feet shoved off toward wherever I had initially meant to go.
But not before casting one more glance in their direction.
19/
And thank goodness I did. . .for in that moment I caught it--a glimpse of the side of that young mother's face and the spit-shined faces of her sweet babies, too.
Smiling, finally. Laughing even.
All three of them.
And thank goodness I did. . .for in that moment I caught it--a glimpse of the side of that young mother's face and the spit-shined faces of her sweet babies, too.
Smiling, finally. Laughing even.
All three of them.
20/
As that bus disappeared down the block with them in it, I wanted to run behind it as fast as I could, yelling through the window just like that dude had a few moments before.
"Heeeey! Hey little mama! Sometimes you win, okay?"
Yeah. Sometimes you win.
#HumanismAlways #SDoH
As that bus disappeared down the block with them in it, I wanted to run behind it as fast as I could, yelling through the window just like that dude had a few moments before.
"Heeeey! Hey little mama! Sometimes you win, okay?"
Yeah. Sometimes you win.
#HumanismAlways #SDoH
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