Today, I refused to be subject to the bystander effect.
I stepped up and spoke up for someone that needed a shoulder and a voice.
It would have been more comfortable to ignore, after all, I was not under any immediate or remote threat.
But I have had people step up and speak up for me before. People that chose not to be bystanders. They helped me find my voice and lended a shoulder for me to step up.
They did it sometimes in rooms I could not access. I promised them I would pay it forward.
I am thankful for the opportunity to live up to the ideals I admire. No bystander lives here.