Filed under: observations
On Thursday, I saw a man attack another man with a shovel.
I was walking to class (NYU doesn’t really advertise that aspect of the “urban education”) and saw them scuffling, the people around them tried to break it up, there was some shouting. It looked like they were going to just walk away. Then one man said something, and ran. And thats when the other man grabbed a shovel and started swinging.
I realized afterwards that I was witnessing someone else experiencing a moment they would never be able to take back, but would want to very dearly. I had just witnessed the moment that would culminate (potentially) into an assault with a deadly weapon charge. I just saw community service turn into potential jail time. I just watched a moment that this man might remember and rethink for the rest of his life. If the term blinding rage has any factual merit to it, then I will probably remember him reaching for the shovel and the dull crack of it making contact better than he will.
It is trite to say that one moment can change a lifetime. But it is flooring to watch it happen.
