Mandatory Blog
Something happened this morning that I have to tell people about. I started my car, and only let it run for a few minutes because I wanted to get to school nice and early, and my interior warmer had warmed it up nicely. I get to the corner of McAra and 15th, and when I went to step on the gas, my car bogged and stalled. This happens sometimes when it's really cold, because my choke is not set 100% right. Anyhow, I normally just turn the key and start it up again, and drive off.
Well, today, it was really cold, and it had not been running very long, so my battery was strained from powering my lights and my fan at full blast. The car went "ruh-ruh... ruh-ruh" when I cranked it... SH*T, I thought. It's freezing, I have no gloves, no toque, and now I need a boost! -- AND I'm halfway blocking 15th Avenue!
I pop my hood, and put my 4-way flashers on, and hold my cables up in the air for someone to stop. Picture this: It's 35 below with the windchill, middle of a street, you're on your way to work at 7:15am. Why would you stop to help a guy in a junky plaid car with his troubles? Well, that is what the first four people that drove by thought. One guy claimed he would wreck his car's computer by boosting me... whatever. The 5th car, however, nodded and smiled at me, and pulled around beside my car.
I thanked her once for stopping, and then we got her hood open, and set up the cables. But my cables are crappy, and didn't do the trick in this cold weather. So she saw it wasn't working, and said, "Here, try these" as she brought out cables, and added, "and put these on" as she handed me mittens. I could have almost cried at how nice this lady was. Her cables promptly started my engine and I revved it up to make sure it wouldn't stall again.
I got out of my car, disconnected the cables, thanked her again for her help, and asked her jokingly if it was okay to hug her, and we laughed. She said she had a son about my age, so as long as someone stops to help him, then she would feel good. I said, "Yeah, that's really the way we want the world to work, right?" I told her that she was a lifesaver this morning.
After I drove away, I realized I had her mittens. I sincerely hope they were not her only pair :S Also, I wished I would have asked her if she believes in God. It would have been interesting. There are many people in the world who are amazingly nice, and motivated to be caring for their own reasons, that have nothing to do with God. There are also people who use God every day as their guide for how to act. I really would like to know why on earth she would stop in 35 below weather to help a person she knows nothing about. I would do the exact same thing, though. Maybe it's karma on my behalf... maybe she was sent there for a reason... maybe I should have got her name... maybe I shouldn't have stolen her mittens... maybe I should find a way to thank her... maybe ... everything. But I can't stop thinking about it.
Every time I stop to help someone out with their car, I have a few thoughts in mind. One of them is "I am stopping because they are in need, and I can offer help". Another thought is "I hope someone would stop for me, situations reversed". Someone might think that latter one is a selfish thought, but really it's just "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" in a nutshell. Apparently, my philosophy worked, yet I wouldn't have been completely shocked if nobody stopped for me. I would say that my lack of faith in God is replaced by my faith in mankind. Because for me to be a nice person, hoping for it to come back to me requires that I place my faith in the general good of people. Which I really think that I do. It's like Pay It Forward (good movie). I am constantly paying it forward, and feel very happy when it is paid back.
Perhaps I am overanalyzing this simple event. I'm sure it happens many times daily, everywhere, particularly in Canada where a person will stop to help another that they know nothing about. And that makes me happy to think that. But this lady was very special, very nice, selfless, caring, and I want to thank her. And I don't know how.
Dan
PS. Somehow, in this fiasco, my favourite red pen fell out of my shirt, and is likely lost forever. *tear*
Well, today, it was really cold, and it had not been running very long, so my battery was strained from powering my lights and my fan at full blast. The car went "ruh-ruh... ruh-ruh" when I cranked it... SH*T, I thought. It's freezing, I have no gloves, no toque, and now I need a boost! -- AND I'm halfway blocking 15th Avenue!
I pop my hood, and put my 4-way flashers on, and hold my cables up in the air for someone to stop. Picture this: It's 35 below with the windchill, middle of a street, you're on your way to work at 7:15am. Why would you stop to help a guy in a junky plaid car with his troubles? Well, that is what the first four people that drove by thought. One guy claimed he would wreck his car's computer by boosting me... whatever. The 5th car, however, nodded and smiled at me, and pulled around beside my car.
I thanked her once for stopping, and then we got her hood open, and set up the cables. But my cables are crappy, and didn't do the trick in this cold weather. So she saw it wasn't working, and said, "Here, try these" as she brought out cables, and added, "and put these on" as she handed me mittens. I could have almost cried at how nice this lady was. Her cables promptly started my engine and I revved it up to make sure it wouldn't stall again.
I got out of my car, disconnected the cables, thanked her again for her help, and asked her jokingly if it was okay to hug her, and we laughed. She said she had a son about my age, so as long as someone stops to help him, then she would feel good. I said, "Yeah, that's really the way we want the world to work, right?" I told her that she was a lifesaver this morning.
After I drove away, I realized I had her mittens. I sincerely hope they were not her only pair :S Also, I wished I would have asked her if she believes in God. It would have been interesting. There are many people in the world who are amazingly nice, and motivated to be caring for their own reasons, that have nothing to do with God. There are also people who use God every day as their guide for how to act. I really would like to know why on earth she would stop in 35 below weather to help a person she knows nothing about. I would do the exact same thing, though. Maybe it's karma on my behalf... maybe she was sent there for a reason... maybe I should have got her name... maybe I shouldn't have stolen her mittens... maybe I should find a way to thank her... maybe ... everything. But I can't stop thinking about it.
Every time I stop to help someone out with their car, I have a few thoughts in mind. One of them is "I am stopping because they are in need, and I can offer help". Another thought is "I hope someone would stop for me, situations reversed". Someone might think that latter one is a selfish thought, but really it's just "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" in a nutshell. Apparently, my philosophy worked, yet I wouldn't have been completely shocked if nobody stopped for me. I would say that my lack of faith in God is replaced by my faith in mankind. Because for me to be a nice person, hoping for it to come back to me requires that I place my faith in the general good of people. Which I really think that I do. It's like Pay It Forward (good movie). I am constantly paying it forward, and feel very happy when it is paid back.
Perhaps I am overanalyzing this simple event. I'm sure it happens many times daily, everywhere, particularly in Canada where a person will stop to help another that they know nothing about. And that makes me happy to think that. But this lady was very special, very nice, selfless, caring, and I want to thank her. And I don't know how.
Dan
PS. Somehow, in this fiasco, my favourite red pen fell out of my shirt, and is likely lost forever. *tear*
posted by danTML at 12:07 p.m.
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