Day 171 ~ Refuge from the Deluge

June 20, 2014

My instead: I offered a ride to a woman in torrential downpour and she accepted! 

While cleaning up the landscaping for a couple of hours in my friend’s yard, a storm brewed.  Not unlike waiting for water to boil, I kept peering at the clouds pointing their fateful fists my way. Enter recurring thought “Will I get struck by lightning, refusing to stop working?”  

The tops of the trees were waving me on. “Get out of here!” No! Head down and my hands in my rock pile, I forged ahead with my task. Then the skies had no more threats to tender.  Unlike a parent just “promising” to punish, the thrashing began…unrelenting. 

My second gear was shifted as I hustled to put tools away and gather up things to take with me. I was the “Wreck of the Hesperus” by the time I was poured into my Honda. 

On my way out of the subdivision, I found a woman walking in this deluge with a bag of goods. Without hesitation and while unlocking my back door, I rolled down my window and yelled “get in!” She mumbled something and then allowed me to come to her rescue by getting in. She said that I would have to turn around which I assumed. We were at her apartment building in no time and she graciously said that it was nice to know that there are still good people around. I agreed with a knowing smile, having been consistently reminded of this during my year of “insteads”. As she was about to get out of my car, she offered her hand and said her name was Susan. I told her mine and shook her hand. She said “thank you again” and I said “you’re welcome, you’re very welcome”. I watched as she walked to her building, then snapped a photo as she entered her door and her refuge.  

I sat there in my silent reverie remembering that blustery day on March 2^nd (Day 61) when I offered a ride to a woman walking in a blizzard on the Troy-O’Fallon Road. That “instead” did not quite have the same ending. As grateful as Susan was for the ride, I was thankful for her “allowing” me to help her, but mostly for the chance to remind one person that there still ARE good people in the world.