Of all the people

A poem on how people affect us, whether they know it or not...

Of all the people I’ve passed by I still think of the ones who never said goodbye Some of them I miss dearly Some of them judged unfairly Some of them don’t even know my name But I remember them all the same I thought of the young man, a boy, who swung at bystanders And the old man who held him back protecting others The boy struggled as the old man subdued The boy’s father cried “if only you knew” He shouted, “Please stop! He has a problem” It was a bright sunny day full of solemn I didn’t see what became of the boy or his father But I’ll always remember how sad his eyes were Of all the people I’ve passed by I still think of the ones in the sky I thought of a girl who has a heart so pure She took care of a sweet dog that could not be cured The doctors told her they can put her down gently She held the dog close and said “No” defiantly She said to her dog “we will live with what you have left” And “I will love you, always, even after your last breath” I think her dog believed her, because even she knew Some people are special, through and through She promised she’d give her the best life she could People like her are often misunderstood She told me this story, and of the hurt she had inside I didn’t tell her, but that night was the hardest I’d ever cried It’s funny how we truly don’t know How someone can affect us, and they don’t even know

-

I wrote this poem a few weeks ago. I wanted to write something that told a story or two that conveyed the idea that everyone around us, their actions, can affect us. It can, of course, be positive or negative experiences you have with other people.

I'll give you some context on the two stories that tie into the last line, which I think brings it all together.

The first story was in Las Vegas. I was in Vegas for a Bachelor party. It was actually the week the world shut down, which is another interesting story I'll share for another time.

Anyways, on our last day, we are, naturally, hung over and a bit defeated at that point. Lack of sleep, losing money gambling, getting drunk every day...it catches up. I jokingly said that the Las Vegas experience is almost like the Kingda Ka ride. You have a high, and you keep going higher and higher and higher, and then BOOM! A massive drop, a gut punch like no other.

Well, on our last day, we decided to go to In-N-Out Burger. We finished our burgers and waited outside for our Uber. Next thing we know a car alarm goes off.

We didn't think anything of it.

But then I saw it.

I saw a boy, a young man, who clearly had severe mental health issues. I saw him swing at a woman minding her own business with her husband. The husband, naturally, began to fight the young man. You could tell the young man was confused and didn't really know what was happening. But the older gentleman, dressed in all black with a cowboy hat on, put him in a headlock and subdued him while the boy's father yelled that there was something wrong with him.

It was a very surreal, and very sad moment. No one did anything wrong, and yet multiple people were hurt from the young man. To this day I think the car alarm set him off because before that everything was totally fine.

Regardless, I don't think I'll ever forget that moment. I saw the young man on the ground, confused, and upset about everything. It made me so fucking sad. I felt awful for him, and I felt awful for the innocent people who might've sustained injuries from him.

It was such a grey situation, there was no black and white, no winner or loser...everyone suffered. It truly was a solemn day, and it made me want to get home badly (especially with the news escalating about COVID-19). I'll never forget that boy.

-

And then, of course, there's the sweet small dog. My friend, who may be the sweetest and kindest person I've ever met, opened up to me about her dog who had passed away. She explained to me that the poor dog was just a baby who was born with illnesses that were going to make her time here limited (and probably unenjoyable for her).

She told me how she didn't care and that she wanted to take care of this sweet animal, even if it took more time, and costed more money for medication. That's the kind of person she is. She told me this story of love, compassion, and kindness. She told me how the dog loved everyone and genuinely enjoyed life when she felt well.

I remember her telling me "you can learn a lot about life from dogs. They live in the moment." This couldn't be more true.

That night, once I processed all that information, I couldn't help but cry. Uncontrollably. It made me so sad. Yet, it was so beautiful too. It was so beautiful how we can give so much love, even when we know the time we have is limited. She made the most of her time with her dog, and it made me appreciate the family that I have. What beautiful souls. It showed me that, despite all the shitty things that happen in this world, that there's still good out there. There's still people who are selfless and go above and beyond to help others, even when there's nothing for them to personally gain from it.

So, to wrap this all up, I may continue writing more poems entitled "Of all the people." Maybe this is part one. Regardless, I wanted to conclude the poem with the simplistic yet poignant concept that everyone around us affects us in some way, shape, or form. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own life that I forget that my actions may have affected someone else in a positive or negative way (I hope not the latter, as much as possible). That's why I try to be consistent in my demeanor and how I treat others. At the end of the day, if we can be less judgmental toward one another, we may find ourselves being more comfortable in our own shoes, more adventurous, more at peace.

-JTC