While driving from Vermont back home to Boulder last week I stopped to take a nap in a truck stop in Indiana. I walked my two dogs, who were making the journey with me, and settled into the front seat for a quick siesta. An hour later my alarm went off (it was midday), and I turned the key to get back on the road only to hear simply a “click”. I immediately knew I had a dead car battery, and I believe the culprit was Rizzo (one of the dogs) turning on a seat heater with his paw...
The culprit on the right (Rizzo) and is partner in crime (Flyer) on the left.
I asked the clerk in the mini-mart if they sold the battery packs to jump cars. He said no, but if I had cables he would gladly give me a jump. I said thank you and that I might take him up on that.
Now, the last thing I wanted to do was approach strangers at a truck stop to ask for something. This is not because I thought they wouldn’t be receptive or nice. I just didn't want to be “that person;” but I swallowed my pride and approached an older gentleman who had just parked. He, unfortunately, didn't have cables. I then noticed a couple getting out of a large Dodge truck. They looked weary from the road but if anyone would have jumper cables I thought it would be them. I was right: they were in fact weary and they did have cables, which they said they would gladly use to give me a jump.
“Where are you headed?” I asked.
“Well, we are trying to get back to Houston,” the woman replied as we walked towards my car (her husband was driving over).
Hurricane Harvey was in the process of slamming into Texas, and waters there, I knew, were rising as we spoke. The thought of this sent an immediate chill through my body.
She continued, “Things are pretty crazy there and we are trying to get back to help friends...we have a few that have lost everything.” The emotion in her voice was palpable, as was the strength.
Her husband pulled his truck in front of my car and we hooked up the jumper cables. As we were letting the battery get a little charge I offered words of thanks and wishes that they would make it safely to Texas to help their loved ones.
They politely thanked me as well and as they began to get in their car I attempted to give them $10 that I had in my shirt pocket.
“No, absolutely not!” the woman told me, “we are happy to help you.”
I thanked them again and we went our separate ways.
Later that day, somewhere in Iowa or Nebraska, I was making a stop for gas and as I pulled out of the station a woman, likely in her mid-20’s, was standing with a sign that said: “Out of Gas.” Her travel companion walked a dog just across the street. Just like the couple in Indiana they had the fatigue of the road on them.
I have no way of knowing if they really were out of gas or they just were using it as a ploy to get some cash, but even if they didn’t “need” the money I have a feeling they needed it more than I; so, I reached into my shirt and pulled out the $10 rolled my window down and handed it to her. She flashed a very thankful smile, said ‘thank you and god bless’ and I drove off continuing my way towards Boulder. It was my small way of passing on the generosity from the couple in Indiana.
None of this has anything to do with being a veteran, or looking for a job, or careers. But, it is about kindness in a world that is pretty crazy right now and it is, for me at least, about the fact that at their core people are good, they want to help others, and they are thankful when help is provided for them.
So take a moment next time you are presented with a situation to make someone's life a little better or to help someone out with a few dollars. It might mean the world to them, and may make their day a lot easier.
Lastly, I am not going to pitch any specific charity on this site but the damage caused by Harvey (and now Irma, too) is looking like it will dwarf that of Katrina, so take a minute and seek out a charity that is doing work that you support in those areas and give either some time or some money to the efforts.