It all happened along
Sherbrooke Street West

Faith in humanity is restored by everyday actions of decency and compassion

By Irwin Rapoport

September 10, 2024

It all happened along Sherbrooke Street West in NDG and I am glad it did. I tend to see the best in people and count on the decency of others to do the right thing. In most cases, my views and hopes are confirmed.

Two cases in particular – on May 11, while out for a walk on Sherbrooke Street on a hot day, a dog started barking from inside a parked car as I approached the vehicle my first instinct was to check if it was alright. I waited for the owner to return and had not someone showed up within a few minutes, I would have called the authorities to intervene.

A woman came out of a jewelry shop and went to the car. She explained that she only left the dog alone for a few minutes and would never place her beloved pet/friend in danger. She thanked me for my concern and noted that she had dogs all her life, always looking after their best interests.

I tend to see the best in people and count on the decency of others to do the right thing. In most cases, my views and hopes are confirmed.

I hope I am not the only person who has taken the time to investigate a similar situation. As a teenager, our family had an Irish Setter, Ginger, and we never left her inside a car on a hot summer day. Leaving a cat, dog, or other animal inside a parked vehicle on a hot day should never occur. Over the past years, many public awareness campaigns, urging to avoid such situations, are getting through to pet owners and bystanders.

There is a well-known video where a veterinarian was filmed inside a locked car with the windows closed on a hot day and he described how the heat was affecting him on a minute-by-minute basis. The point was made and it captured the attention of the public. We have also had situations where concerned individuals, seeing animals in trouble, acted by smashing windows open to save them. There are still cases where pets are left to die. The inside of a car can become very hot rapidly. And sadly, we still have incidents where parents forget that their children are inside a car and they perish due to extreme heat exposure.

Three weeks earlier, also while walking home along Sherbrooke, the straps on one of my sandals broke simultaneously. It was impossible to continue walking with them on. As I was only a few blocks from home, I continued barefoot. Close to my destination, a car pulled up and the driver, a woman, asked me if everything was okay. I explained the situation and thanked her for her concern.

She was prepared to give me some money to buy some shoes. That was very generous of her and she noted that she volunteers to bring meals to people and help out with food banks. That she wanted to help out was commendable and much appreciated. These are the type of people we as a society depend upon and are grateful when they intervene.

I said I knew someone who could benefit from the money she was willing to give me and asked if I could give that $20 to that individual. She instantly agreed and I matched her donation. It was a case of genuine generosity inspiring one to emulate her desire to brighten the day of another.

These are just two isolated incidents, but they speak well of people. If more of us acted on our better instincts, we could do much to alleviate many small problems our fellow Montrealers experience daily.

‘If more of us acted on our better instincts, we could do much to alleviate many small problems our fellow Montrealers experience daily.’

A case in point. In many African countries, there is a serious lack of psychologists and many people have no one they can speak to about their problems, large or small. One psychologist (I believe he was from South Africa – I heard about this on NPR) came up with an idea to have certain park benches designated as places where people could sit and speak with someone about their problems – an individual who would not be judgmental and offer compassion and advice based on what they were hearing. In many cases, the volunteers were grandmothers and village elders. The program has since spread to several countries. It made a difference and continues to help those under extreme duress who needed a friend during a rough time.

Such a program here in Canada and the United States, properly executed, could make a difference to many in despair. We should consider establishing a similar program here.

Last winter, again while walking on along Sherbrooke Street, a jogger passed me and a few seconds later I heard a scream. She had fallen on the sidewalk, and having lost her balance, injured her left leg. I immediately stopped and went to see if she was alright. It was clear she could not walk home. Having taken a few first aid courses, we quickly determined that no bones were broken from where the pain stemmed from. She called a friend to pick her up and with that knowledge, I could leave knowing everything would turn out fine. It wasn’t freezing, but it was cold and she was dressed for a winter jog.

I hope others will do the same and we see such interventions daily. A few years ago, during the summer, just as I finished shopping at the Esposito grocery store at the corner of Wilson and Sherbrooke, I saw a crowd on the street. A man had collapsed and everyone was trying to help. It was inspiring to see how many cared and wanted to pitch in. We asked the person, who could not stand up, what happened and several standard first-aid questions to find out what was ailing him. A few minutes later, a nurse running a few errands, joined us and took charge. Someone called 911 and help was on the way.

With all that is going on in various parts of the world, such as the war in Ukraine, the spate of mass shootings in the U.S., and the increasing use of nationalism to create division and distress, it is heartwarming to know that most people are decent and want to do the right when confronted by situations where individuals requiring immediate help and support receive it.

‘… it is heartwarming to know that most people are decent and want to do the right when confronted by situations where individuals requiring immediate help and support receive it.’

Many of the world’s problems cannot be easily resolved, but we can do our part by looking after smaller everyday issues with a big dose of humanity. Montreal has many ordinary heroes who rise to the occasion when there is a need. If this spirit can be tapped into to help solve bigger problems, many of our woes can be dealt with effectively.

Feature image: Pixabay

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Irwin Rapoport is a freelance journalist with Bachelor’s degrees in History and Political Science from Concordia University.