Edmonds Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Bystander: One who is present but not taking part in a situation or event: a chance spectator.

I was thinking the other day about a call I received from my mom a little over a year ago. She lives in another state and, before the pandemic, was always on her way somewhere, so I was never surprised when she called at odd times during the day.

This time, though, her voice was shaking.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, nervously, as you do when your parent is 2,000 miles away and getting older.

She had been on her way to the pool, and as she was coming to a stoplight near her house she saw a man...