What Prevents Us From Helping - Fear Sometimes

A man ran into Payless Shoe today while I was paying and he said "call the police, a man fell down outside." I rushed outside and a homeless man had fallen out of his wheelchair. I grabbed a hold of him and tried to lift him up. There were 3 or 4 people watching me. I quickly said to one of them (a little surprised that no one was helping me), "hold his wheelchair please." A woman quickly did. And then I said "get his classes, they are on the ground." And another person helped out. The homeless man was clearly dehydrated. He was asking/begging for food and he was sticking his tongue straight up gasping for food/water. I told him I would be back, and rushed into Wendy's and bought him some food. I came back and gave it to him and he said, "Gold bless you." I told him he needed help, and he said no (perhaps not wanting to go to a shelter). Nevertheless, I ran down the street and told a policeman as I thought he was in very bad shape and would end up on the sidewalk again if I didn't. As I walked back to work, this issue of fear and what prevents people from helping was running through my mind. I must admit that absent teaching this class I am not sure I would have picked up the man (perhaps I would have been worried about "catching something." But thanks to the class and the kids, I am definately even more aware of spreading kindness and leading by example. Admittedly, I thought about catching "something" from this man such as a a cold...germs...these days...the flu...I could understand in some part people not wanting to get involved...touch a homeless person...does he "have something"...how might he react (will he want your help)....but as I told the kids in class today...overcoming one's fears to help someone is a sign of leadership...and it reminded me again of what they did last week in south station, their leadership, as they went up to strangers asking them to take a "kindness bag."