A break in my Shield !?

I need help in understanding what happened to me today.

Let me set this up...

I was at the fabric store with my wife and daughter. While I was standing at the counter waiting for a bolt of fabric, I heard, as did many people in the area of the counter, someone whimpering loudly. The lady next to me turned and said there is a lady that fell on the floor behind us. I immediately went to her aid.

The lady on the floor would not answer my questions after my repeated attempts to see if she was injured. She then shouts out she was tripped and insinuated that I may have done it. Her daughter came from the other side of the store to assist. The lady at the counter said no one tripped her and that she just fell. I could not get any information about an injury.

This is where I kind of lost control of myself. I told the daughter that her mother fell and was not tripped. Again I asked if I could help her. She refused. The mother shouted that she was tripped and pointed at me. Although she never said it was me, the insinuation was there. I turned to the daughter and told her that her mother was lying and I (for the first time in my life) turned away from her and told the daughter I would not help her mother. As I stood at the counter I made a comment to the daughter that her mother could just lay there for all I cared. (Not me at all)

When I turned back to the counter the sales lady said that she did not blame me and that no one tripped her and I could not have tripped her. An African American lady with her child turned to me and said she felt the lady was trying to scam the store. The daughter kept asking people for help and asked the mother if she needed an ambulance since no one was going to help. (there was by now about 10 people around the area). I WAS MAD AND ABSOLUTELY PISSED OFF by the accusation.

The daughter told me I was not a nice person for letting her mother stay on the floor and that her mother was not a liar. No one else was willing to help. After a minute I turned around from the counter and for the first time ever, I presented my badge (I never present my badge) and said I am a paramedic firefighter and am willing to help if they want it.

It was if a switch was turned on. All of a sudden I was trustworthy and the mother should listen to what I had to say. With the assistance of another lady in the store I picked the mother up and steadied her against a shopping cart. I again asked if she was hurt and tried to help. The mother said she just wanted to go home and put ice on it. Within a minute of her getting off the floor, they disappeared out of the store.

First - I believe they were trying to scam someone (me) or the store. I think they got scared when I presented my badge.

Second - I still cannot believe that I acted in such a negative way. I was unprofessional and rude. I have never acted in this manner before but I believe (in hindsight) that see was trying to scam me. Maybe my unconscious knew this before I did?

Either way, I feel bad about my actions no matter what the circumstance.

Please give me your thoughts on this.

You are 'only human' and sometimes we all let our emotions get the better of us. What is most important in my opinion is the end result. Ultimately you assisted the lady and potentially saved the store from a scam. The fact that you have disclosed this incident to the temple and asked for our thoughts shows how you consider your actions and this reveals far more about you as a person than a brief moment of annoyance.

I agree with Psyddhattha...

Who among us hasn't lost their cool?

Many times I've said this, and I'm going to again...

We are practicing Jedi, not perfect Jedi....

From what I've heard, it does indeed sound like a scam...

And even after it was expressed it could be a scam, you still assisted the woman...

Bravo!

Look at it this way...

1. You offered help...
2. Wrongly accused, you pulled back... not wanting to make the panic/situation worse...
3. Your badge has power, you know this, amazing how people listen to a badge...
4. Your badge calmed the situation...
5. And still helped this person...

Sounds like you did the right thing....

You are beating yourself up over loss of control, keep practicing...

Your going down the right path...

I guess you'll never find out if she was trying to scam and it definatly does happen. If her daughter seemed truthful then maybe she fainted. From personal experience, when I've passed out for a short term (now I lie down when giving blood) my immediate reaction upon coming too was not quite my normal self; sort of a combination of embarrsement and puzzlement. It might explain why she didnt answer you immediatly, and she might have felt embarressed and reacted by using blame to counter the feeling of embarrassment - while still not realizing what actually had happened or in fact where she might have been but since you were the first responder she automatically assumed the stranger she sees before her must have done it!!! Otherwise I agree with the posters above.

You have a good point about someone who passes out Adder. Having been in the medical field for about 20 years (EMT or paramedic), there are signs and symptoms that I look for when dealing with these situations. Although none were present, they are never ruled out if not witnessed.

You know, I couldn't say it better than what Psyddhattha or Master Jestor said, but I will give you my thoughts on a different angle and on something you probably weren't intending someone to focus on.

You said this:

"I was at the fabric store with my wife and daughter. While I was standing at the counter waiting for a bolt of fabric..."

That tells me the kind of husband you are (and forgive me for being stereotypical here). You wouldn't catch me dead in a fabric store. The fact you were even THERE tells me you are a better husband than I am! I'm all about living in the now, but a fabric store is as close to the Dark Side of the Force as I've ever been.

MTFBWY!

-LTK

Learn_to_Know...

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THANK YOU!!!

Phortis: Having been in your situation on a daily basis (not the fabric store) I deal with cons and the mentally ill all the time. I think you spooked them either way.

The real issue is how your emotions got your ego to feed upon the situation. We call it getting "sucked in" the other person's drama. The ego feeds on fear and chaos and it defends itself on acusations and attacks. The ego wants to perserve itself and manifests itself and captures itself in the past or future. Not the now. You came off track for a minute and caught yourself retuning to your training. Remember the countless other peole you have helped during your call for service. You now move on to the other person who calls for you. Your sheild is stronger from you building and learning on the situation.

Keep your chin up and polish the shield just for good measure.

Well it was a pleasure to read such a story Phortis! Its comforting to know Im in the "on-line presence" of such a hero! Do not be mistaken, you ARE a hero! Inspirational!

Phortis: Only a good man would feel any regret for the actions you described. You reacted, controlled the situation, and then acted with great compassion, and professionalism(sp). You do honour to both your shield and the Jedi. Thank You!