It Doesn't Cost Anything To Help

I felt compelled to write this immediately, although I'm somewhat swamped with work (work, what?!).  Over my maternity leave, G and I watched a lot of Law and Order: SVU.  One of the episodes that stuck with me dealt with people waiting for others to do something first instead of themselves jumping in to help.  I know we've all been in that situation...driven past the hitchhiker or walked by the homelesss person or kind of ignored the young man in his 20's sitting at the airport with a sign saying he lost all his money and his cell phone and just wanted to call his mom, hoping that it would never happen to us.  Watching this episode brought back two memories I had...one of helping and one of wanting to help, but just not having the bravery to do so.

The first instance was strange....I was driving down the road on teh way home, and I saw a bird sitting on the yellow lines separating the to and from lanes.  He clearly could not move, and was clearly chirping, although I couldn't hear him.  This was a country road, and no good turn offs, but I managed to turn around and drive by the opposite way just to make sure I really saw what I thought I saw.  I did.  Deep breath.  I turned around again, but I just knew I wouldn't stop.  THANKFULLY, a man had stopped while I was turning turning turning, and when I drove past, he was carrying the bird in his hands.  Relief.  On so many levels.

The second instance is a little boring.  I was driving to a little downtown area and had been following a sedan for quite some time.  It took a while, but I realized that the brake lights weren't working.  As we pulled up to a stop light, I got out of the car and knocked on this poor little old lady's window.  She must have been terrified.  As quickly as I could, I told her that both brake lights were out, and then I ran back to my car.  I did it.  I conquered a fear of helping a stranger.

So this brings me to today.  On my lunch break, I was out for a drive, and I came upon a little beat up old car that was attempting to chug along on a front flat tire.  Other cars were whizzing by, and as I went to pass, I noticed that this gentleman was about 90 years old.  It was the bird AND the little old lady!  Without much thought, I turned around in a parking lot, drove past him again, and noticed that the back tire was also flat.  I turned around yet again and pulled up right next to him and waved.  We both stopped, and then I noticed that this man was clearly NOT 90...he was like my dad's age.  Still, I asked him if he needed help or wanted me to phone anyone (because if he was 90 surely he wouldn't have a cell phone or a contact person).  He told me his daughter blew out the tires and that it was sweet of me to stop.  Thankfully he was nice and didn't seem annoyed with my assumptions that he was geriatric and helpless.

I know its not much, but knowing I can stop and help someone without my anxiety getting in the way is a big step.  A RELIEF.