I know, I know—you’ve got your own stuff going on. Bills to pay, kids to wrangle, a show to binge. But here’s the secret: helping find someone is oddly satisfying. It’s like that small rush you get when you find a parking spot right in front of the store. Except instead of saving ten steps, you might save a person.
Besides, we’re all connected in this big, chaotic sandbox we call a city. Last week, you probably borrowed a pen from a coworker. Today, you might be the one who sees Abdul’s face on a flier and thinks, “Wait, I did see him.”
The police aren’t asking you to join a manhunt or shout from rooftops. They’re just asking you to be present. That’s not a huge ask—you already know how to exist in the world. You walk, you look, you breathe.
How to Help Without Leaving Your Couch
You can literally help from your sofa in your comfiest sweatpants. Share the police department’s post about Abdul on your social media. Tag your neighborhood group. It’s like sending a digital bat signal.
UPDATE: Located (RCMP asking for your help in locating missing 15-year
Or, if you’re out and about, just take a moment to scan the faces around you. Not in a creepy way—just in a “hey, I’m a human who notices other humans” way. You’d want someone to do the same for you if you ever took a wrong turn.
I remember once losing my cat for three hours. I was a wreck. I put up fliers, called every neighbor, and cried into a bowl of cereal. That cat was fine—he was just napping under a porch. But the feeling of not knowing is awful. That’s what Abdul’s family is living in right now, times a thousand.
