Terrifying

I thought I had seen everything. 

I've been among a crying crowd at a funeral for a baby who died when her totally over-tired sick father forget her in a car.  The sight of the chevra kaddisha (Jewish burial staff) emerging from the ambulance (we don't use hearses in Shiloh) carrying the dead baby in his arms elicited such a collective cry of grief... unforgettable.

I'm a survivor of a terror attack which left a couple dozen wounded, including myself, and one dead.

I once found myself waiting with neighbors, some dead and some alive, who had been in a horrific, tragic car accident.

I've spent time in the hospital praying for my sons, one after an accident and one who was deathly ill as a tiny infant.

I successfully, thank G-d, did Heimlich on my young son choking on an ice cube.

I could go on unfortunately...

But when I saw the toddler with her head fully enclosed in a plastic bag, while her parents happily shopped I could not be quiet.  I just had to speak to the parents.

"Excuse me, but it's very dangerous to pull plastic bags over a head like that."
"It's fine" insisted the young father.
"It can be fatal" I continued.  The father glared at me as the mother took the bag off of the child's head.  "There are countries that have Keep Away From Children on plastic bags."

picture credit

 

Then I continued on my way to use the amazingly well-kept WC's at Rami Levy Discount Supermarket.