As a kid I can tell you my dad helped just about anyone we crossed paths with. He was by profession an auto-mechanic, but really he was just handy with almost anything. If someone needed help, stranger or not he was the guy who stopped, and he would never accept anything in return other than a thank you. As I have grown I can’t say that I see many good samaritan acts like these, but times have changed so drastically its easy to understand why. For one, just about everyone has some sort of roadside assistance and a cell phone to get help out to them. For another it is hardly safe to stop and check on strangers, especially in remote areas or at night. I also think as a general rule we own newer cars (unlike the days where we drove a car for 20 years until it was on its last leg) so there are fewer break downs. Still though, even in modern times, gas runs out, tires go flat, and on the rare occasion that you either do not have your cell phone or happen to be in between roadside assistance plans, help is always desperately wanted. On with my story.
Yesterday wasn’t one of our luckiest days in the Riley house, a few flips and flops through the day (nothing major), but we didn’t manage to be driving home from work until it was dark, slushy, and pouring down rain. On the darker “short cut” home though, we got a flat tire. Since I was certain that I opted out of the roadside assistance to keep our insurance policy low, Damien started out in the cold to change it. This is where I should mention that trying to find where the factory jack is installed in your vehicle, is like playing Where’s Waldo. Then getting it out of the housing is another puzzle. Ten minutes in the rain and we haven’t even taken the spare of the back of the car. The kids and I got to stay tucked away for the grueling 40 minutes that followed while Damien knelt in soggy snow and was getting soaked with fresh rain, but the good ol’ factory jack still refused to get the car high enough to put the full sized spare on. So just as we are about to freeze to death, a car pulls up and a guy steps out offering to help. In less than 10 minutes he uses his (far superior) factory jack and has us on our way. It was unbelievable to both Damien and I that someone would stop on a pitch black road, in the slush, with rain pouring down, and help change a tire for strangers.
Oh and when I called later to add roadside assistance to our policy I learned we already had it…go figure.
I can’t believe you already had roadside assistance! That is TOO funny. I had three flat tires in a 9 month period, and two of the times, it was raining. It SUCKS. And since I am a pathetic, helpless female who does not know how to change a tire, AND I don’t have roadside assistance, my husband had to change the tire twice, and my FIL once. There ARE perks to being married!
Oh Sarah, how funny! I think I’m going to use this story when I’m teaching my 7th graders about “irony”–LOL. But here’s my thoughts about the whole thing: Sure, life would have been easier for you that night if you had simply remembered that you actually had roadside assistance, but then you wouldn’t have discovered that there are still good samaritans out there, nor would you have written this entry in which you fondly reminisced about your dad. Just goes to show that God works in mysterious ways. =)
Shannon: The first flat I had to change on my own made me feel very proud and independent. It also happened to be the same day I went out and got my very first cell phone…no need for a repeat occurrence, lol.
Jodi: I agree, there are always very strange ways that God is presenting us with lessons. The part of town we broke down in was very close to work where I am always complaining about “people who never help themselves”, talk about irony….this guy was about as selfless as they come in this scenario.
If someone needed help, stranger or not he was the guy who stopped, and he would never accept anything in return other than […….
?? ??????? ???? ?????, ? ?????????……