In a day when people tend to think of themselves more than they do of others, it is refreshing to find that there are still good Samaritans around to assist in time of need.
I have had the privilege of encountering several of these special people during the last few months, mainly due to car problems.
The incident that comes foremost to my mind happened in April, when I made an afternoon trip out of Greenwood. I went to visit friends in North Mississippi, an area with which I am not at all familiar.
I made it to my destination with no trouble. It was a beautiful day, and I was off work. What could go wrong?
When I got into town, I was a little early, so I decided to stop and get a bite to eat.
I enjoyed a leisurely lunch and freshened up before going to meet my friend.
I walked out the door, got into my car, put the key in the ignition and got nothing. There was no purring of the engine. There wasn't even a clicking noise a car makes when the battery isn't charging. There was only silence.
Here I was, stuck in a town I wasn't familiar with, and my car was dead.
Immediately, I panicked. What was I to do?
It's just not safe for a young woman to be alone with a broken-down car in a town where she hardly knows a soul.
I realized I had to stop and think.
I got out of the car and raised the hood. After all, I thought to myself, my dad is a mechanic, surely I could wiggle the battery cable or knock the corrosion off to help it come back to life.
Wrong.
That little trick didn't work.
I realized I was going to have to call my friend and get her to come and pick me up; then we could decide the best course of action.
What a way to spend the afternoon. What I thought would be fun and relaxed turned into tense and uptight.
In the meantime, there were two gentlemen, dressed in business attire, who saw me standing helplessly by my car with the hood up. They immediately came and asked if they could be of assistance.
They looked like nice men, and I was in a public place, so I wasn't afraid about being approached. These days, you have to be a little leery about strangers.
But all I could think about at that time was being so grateful that someone had come to my rescue. I explained my problem, and I tried to crank the car again so they could hear what it was doing.
We all made a quick assessment that my battery was ready for the graveyard.
A nice older gentleman, who had been having lunch with his wife, also came to the rescue. He had a pair of jumper cables.
As the men hooked up the cables, they told me one of the cells in the battery was completely dead, and I would need a new one.
It took a very long time to get the battery started so I could make it to my next stop.
These men continued to reassure me that everything was going to be OK and that there was a parts store just a few blocks away.
Later that day, I also received assistance in getting to the parts store to purchase a new battery, and someone put it in my car for me.
I made sure to thank all the gentlemen who helped me during my crisis.
It was reassuring to have people come to my aid, while I was in unfamiliar surroundings.
They could have let me sit there and work out my own problems, but they selflessly offered a helping hand to a stranger.
I don't know the names of the three men who helped me at the restaurant, and they don't know mine.
I was so upset over my car, I forgot to get their names. But they know who they are. They were my rescuers that day. And to them, I will be forever grateful.
The others who assisted me were acquaintances of my friend.
It's just nice to know that there are people like this still around. I only hope that one day I can follow in their footsteps and offer assistance to a needy soul.
