Kind strangers

Yesterday I was reminded of just how generous strangers can be. On the way home from a quick day trip to Beaufort, about 2 hours away from where I live, I got two flat tires. Yes, two. One with a giant rip from a twisted screw, one stuck with two nails. I'm so lucky that a stranger, who I only know as Marion, helped me (or really, I helped him) replace one tire with a spare, pump up the other tire, and figure out my way around Beaufort to get to the nearest Walmart.

Yesterday was so stressful, but thanks to Marion and a recent business friend who followed me to Walmart in case my tires ran flat again, what started out as an awful, break down crying situation turned into a best case scenario.

I keep thinking about how much worse yesterday could have been. I was already alone, but I could have gotten onto the highway, which I was only two miles away from when I pulled over. I could have been stuck on the side of the road instead of parked in the parking area of a produce stand. If Marion hadn't come to the produce stand for fruit, I could have replaced one tire, but definitely not two, and I would have had to get towed. If my friend Corey hadn't been willing to follow me to Walmart, I could have gotten stuck on the side of the road...again. I may have had to wait hours for a tow truck, and at that point it would have been dark and I would have been without a car. Not a fun or safe situation to be in.

There are so many things in the world, truthfully, that make it easy to get depressed about the state that our society is in, but a day like yesterday really helped me put things into perspective. There are such good people out there, and I need to remember that every day. Marion wouldn't let me pay him for his help, but he reminded me to help someone out the next time I see someone in need. I can't think of a better way to thank him for his help than by paying it forward.