Kindness Medley
As a very frequent lone, middle-aged traveler, I've had a number
of personal great experiences. Driving years ago near
Bournemouth, along England's south coast, I had a flat tire
about 6 p.m. Hailing a passing car (or probably they saw me
floundering about and stopped), I asked where I might find a
garage. About as fast as I'm typing this, the man had his coat
off, sleeves rolled up and was already working on removing the
tire. As I protested that I didn't want him to take the
trouble, his nice wife kept saying "Don't worry. That's just
the way he is!" By now he had changed the tire, hopped back in
his car while I vainly tried to say 'Thank you,' the wife waving
back at me and they were off!
A similar event happened many years ago in Antigua, British West
Indies, at a time when Americans weren't too popular down there and
tempers were very touchy. My husband and I were having mysterious
rental car trouble and were terrified when a car with a couple of
local men stopped. Before we knew what was happening, they were out,
had found the hidden battery (in an obscure place in a side door), did
magic to it, and again, zoomed off laughing and waving as we yelled
thank you and vainly begged them to let us pay . . . probably a terrific
insult, now that I think about it.
Hiking alone on a late afternoon in a very quiet Canadian
provincial park, somewhere within 30 miles of Stratford, I
managed to slide and fall and badly twist an ankle. It seemed
to be less than a minute when two strong, tall young fellows
appeared, confessed they were ambulance paramedics out for an
afternoon hike, gently helped me up a steep hill, put some sort
of bandage support on the foot, and got me back into my car in
very good shape so I could drive back to my B&B in town. Was I
lucky? And how did those two happen to be there just
then?
--Carol
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