The kindness of strangers

This story reminds me that I was in this situation not that long ago ...

Good Samaritan killed in crash along I-465 - 13 WTHR:
This is how the man who died is remembered.  Sounds like the was a great GREAT man.
"I am honored and consider myself fortunate to have known the man who was killed in this accident. Always smiling and uplifting, he was a gentle man with a kind soul and a huge heart who would go out of his way to help anyone, as everyone can now see. I find solace in knowing that he is given honor in death because he was a man of honor. I will never forget the day I met him, my first day on the job, and it's hard to accept that his smiling face will no longer greet me every work day. I will also never forget the kindness and respect he showed not only to me, but to everyone he met. He is loved and deeply missed by many. We love and miss you, D; you will always remain in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers. My heart aches for your family, especially your fiance, daughter, and brother."

'via Blog this'


Not too long ago, I was stranded at the side of the road during rush hour.  It was a really beautiful day and I was on my way back from Columbus after spending most of the week there between summer and fall semester. I had been speeding quite a bit to make it to a concert on time.   I was 4 or53 miles away from my exit when the tire pressure light came on. I thought that perhaps one of the tires was low on air and planned on checking that out as soon as I got home.  Then, not even a few minutes later, I heard the tire blowing out.  So, I pulled over to the shoulder as soon as I could.

I got out of the car and assessed the situation. I attempted to put the spare on, but there was no way for me to get the lug nuts off. I was stuck.  So, I called my uncle and asked him for help.  He was coming from Columbus, so it would be at least an hour before he would be able to help me.  So I went into the car and was perusing the interwebs on my phone waiting for him to get there.

I had only waited for about 10 or 15 before there was a knock on my window.  Some guy stopped to put my flat on for me.  I wanted to send him a gift card or something for stopping to help me out. But he wouldn't let me do so.  I don't even know his name, but I am very thankful that he took time out of his day to help me out.  All he said to me was, "I have a daughter who's about your age. If she ever finds herself in your situation, I would hope someone would do the same for her."

So, today is great day for to remember what he did for me.  Things could have turned out much differently than they did.  I got my flat during rush hour traffic and there were cars zooming by the whole time I was stranded.  I'm thankful that nothing more serious happened to us.