Walking Each Other Home

I saw a video the other day of a woman behind the wheel of her car, nearly hyperventilating, FaceTiming someone, paralyzed with fear and unwilling to drive across a bridge in San Francisco.

Shortly after the video begins, a police officer shows up and offers to escort her across the bridge. He tells her he’ll put his hazards on and drive behind her. That they can drive twenty-five miles per hour. He tells her that this bridge is short compared to another nearby bridge. His tone is urgent as she’s parked illegally on the on ramp. Still, he assures her she’ll be okay and reluctantly, the driver agrees and the video ends.

I know looking at the comment sections on social media is like injecting antifreeze into your brain, but still, I wanted to see what people thought about their interaction.

The very first comment hit me hard. It hit others hard too, and they told the commenter as much.

They wrote, “At the end of the day, we are all just walking each other home. Be kind.”

Today is Dr. King’s birthday. It’s also inauguration day here in the states.

I imagine many of you are feeling many different emotions. Some hopeful. Some not. Some thinking about the progress we’ve made. Some terrified that it’s all going away. And everything in between.

I won’t spend a moment telling you how you should feel. That’s not for me to say. I will tell you that I am choosing to be kind today. To others, sure, but mostly to me. I invite you to do the same. And if you need someone to walk you home (figuratively), send me a note. I got you.

Michael