I learned a hard lesson today... Don't have a heat stroke in Roland Park. For those of you who may not know, Roland Park is a snooty, upper crusty neighborhood in Baltimore. It's an old neighborhood with huge mansions from the 19th century, a locally owned super market that charges a dollar more for everything that you can get at Giant, and of course, a Starbucks.
Anyway... Earlier today I decided to stick to my exercise regime and do an hour of power walking in 95 degree weather. Afterward I drank a lot of water and got into my car that currently has no air conditioning due to some ruptured hoses. I'm almost home when my vision starts to go. I feel like I've just swallowed a fist full of quaaludes (I'm guessing at this one since I've never even had one quaalude nor do I know exactly what they are. I just remember hearing about them in the '70s), I start hyperventilating and going numb and tingly all over. I think I'm having a heat stroke, I say to myself. So I pulled my 1998 Saab 900 SE off of 83 on to Coldspring Lane headed east and made an emergency stop at the corner of Coldspring and Roland Avenue. I get out of the car and collapse on the sidewalk shaking and crying and still hyperventilating.
I manage to call my boyfriend who is debating about whether to call 911 or come and get me, when I spot a good Samaritan - or so I thought. He sees me lying on the ground, makes a step toward me, THEN TURNS AROUND AND WALKS AWAY. He didn't run so as to give me the impression he might be going for help. He never asked if I was OK. NOTHING. Just walked away. Even through my mini trauma, I was shocked. I mean, come on! I'm in Roland Park.
Then I start to think evil thoughts. Mr. Not So Good Samaritan was white. I'm black (yes, black folk can suffer from heat exhaustion) and I wondered, if I were white, would he have walked away? I'm not one to throw out the race card willy nilly, but this really bothered me. Was it just unwillingness to help a stranger or was there more to it? Even in today's society this question is often in the back of the minds of many people of color.
Thoughts?
