Somebody's Hero

When you see something going on, that you know is wrong, not kind of wrong, but wrong in a big way; It doesn't directly affect you, but you are witnessing it happen... What do you do? I like to think that I am a doer, not much of a watcher. I like to find solutions, and I like to "fix" things.
This is a family photo (an few years old, Jordan and I now have 2 little boys) and everyone looks relatively happy.
This would be the black sheep in the family; Don't you worry, we have several shades of grey, but John would lovingly be called the black sheep. (I am referring to my brother in the picture, not my son)

When my dad was really sick with Cancer, and everything in our home was put on hold in a way, and life had to adjust to a new normal, John acted out. John found the release that we were all looking for with his friends in drugs and alcohol. He did make a lot of mistakes, but he has also made a lot of good choices, and is a very respectable guy, and someone who I care a great deal about.

On Friday night my brother witnessed a guy who was obviously drunk, and not of sound mind at the time drag his girlfriend from a Mr. Sub, and try to strangle her. There was a large group of people standing there looking on.

What would you do in this situation? This is a question I have thought a lot about over the past couple of days, and like I said, I am a doer, a fixer of sorts, but how do you fix this? I would probably have been the first to call the police, but would they have been too late? Would this poor girl be left to die because I do not like confrontations, and I am a big chicken? Would I live the rest of my life with guilt from this situation because I did not do more?

My brother (the black sheep) opened the door to the establishment, and asked the guy if he has a problem. That is all it took. Even with a large group of onlookers, my brother woke up in the hospital looking like thisThe guy who has been set on killing his girlfriend turned all of his rage on my brother. He tore off his shirt, and attacked! The police say the guy was crazy, he was attacking the building as well. John was basically knocked down, and hit to unconsciousness, and then hit a whole lot more. He suffered 2 broken bones in his cheek, and had to go through some re constructive surgery in an attempt to save his vision in that eye, and support the eye socket so that he would not have a sunken eye for the rest of his life. This is what he looks like 5 days after the incident. He is doing well. Swelling is coming down, and he can see out of his eye, although blurry at the moment.

Last Saturday I had plans of spending the day with my family, maybe a walk, and some work with my parents on their home which they are preparing to sell, instead I got to go and see my 23 year old brother cry, afraid of the unknown, not wanting to look like a monster, worried that my kids would be afraid of him, worried that he would lose his vision. Somebody made a decision that will affect my brothers life forever, and has made for a few difficult weeks for him. Was it worth it? Would I have the strength to go through what he has? Did his save a strangers life?

This has really made me sit back and think about who I am and what convictions I have. I am grateful that my brother is ok, and that the girl, at least for that night was out of harms way. Just something that has really been on my mind.