Jeezum, every time I leave the house . . .

I was walking home tonight along Prospect Park when I heard a scuffle in a doorway of one of the apartments to my right. Ahead of me to the left was a young guy, smoking, apparently waiting for a bus. As I got closer, I saw a couple in the alcove. Sometimes you think people are fighting when they're really playing or laughing, but it became clear the man had the woman pinned against the doorway and was yelling in her face and that she was crying. I stopped at the bottom of their steps and when they saw me, I asked if they needed some help. (As soon as I said it, I remembered that I'd left my phone at home, so I don't know what help I could be, but once you're in one of these situations, you have to maintain your calm.) The man stepped back and said he had no problem if she'd go away. She, sobbing, said she didn't want to leave because he was her husband and he wanted to divorce her but she didn't want him to. Then I became aware that the guy from the bus stop had come up behind me, wing man style. I asked the woman if she had someplace to go. "She's got her own place," the husband said. "I don't want a divorce," she told me again. "You have to get the hell away from me," the guy said to her. By then I realized that the guy wanted to go inside and be done with it, so I asked the wife if she wanted me to help her get home. She said again she didn't want to go home, and what could I say? Dude doesn't want you. I asked the guy if I could help him and he said again he'd be fine if she'd leave. It really seemed like the whole thing had blown over, so I said something lame about maybe she could try him again another day and went on my way. I'd only gotten a few steps when my wing man was beside me again, thanking me for stopping. "He's not hurting her," I said. "I'm a guy, and I just didn't know whether I should go over there or what." I thanked him for coming over because that was potentially very helpful if the situation had gone another way. "Well, you were the bigger person for going up to them first."

You know what it is? 9/11. I've had sub rosa conversations with two fellow New Yorkers about how we're over 9/11, but we can't forget the lesson of that day--we can't stand by and watch bad things happen. We are the first responders.