Six Strangers in Edmonton

The traffic light turned green. As my foot instinctively began to press on the gas, I noticed movement in the corner of my eye. To my right, a young boy—maybe about 9 or 10—was running into traffic. He wore an undone winter jacket, sweatpants, and ill-fitted snow boots. I stopped abruptly as he stumbled and continued to run. Time seemed to slow down. I looked on in horror as a school bus and two cars came from the opposite direction toward the boy, who had not yet reached the other side of the street. He was clearly unaware of the peril and the stress he caused the drivers at the intersection.

I could see the bus driver's eyes as he fought the bus's weight to stop and avoid a collision, and the swerving maneuvers the other drivers made so this boy would continue living.

In the end, six drivers total stopped abruptly in an intersection to avoid accidentally killing this boy.

It was one of those situations that gave me a brief glimpse into a dark alternate universe. A distraught bus driver might have exited the bus in tears. I imagine parents missing their son at the supper table and feeling unbearable grief around the Christmas tree. I see a school principal gathering classmates to tell them the tragic news in a way they can handle. My workday wouldn’t have begun. The shock and trauma would have been more than I could handle.

But then that split-second nightmare ends, and I’m back in the driver's seat with my hands clenched tightly around the steering wheel, but exhaling with relief as the boy continues his way down the street to catch the start of school. I’m grateful for the impromptu teamwork formed by six strangers behind different wheels.

Have I ever been the boy?

Have I gone unaware of the efforts of six or more people who are concerned about my safety and well-being? Probably. I’ve thought about the incident at the intersection, and then, more broadly, about the strangers around me. We’re surrounded by good people who come from many backgrounds. When our stories collide at life's intersections, I’m comforted to know that most people care. Let’s go into 2026 with confidence and belief that most people are good and can be trusted to do the right thing when it matters. More than ever, I want to bench cynicism and give hope a shift on the field of life.

I hope you do too.