Daily writing prompt
Describe a random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to you.
Full Disclosure: What follows is the abridged version of my October ’18, two-parter post titled: Injuries Lead To Insights.
Understated succinctly: Work related injury, necessitated early retirement sucks. It instantly taps out one’s feelings of self-worth and rapidly tanks out retirement savings accounts. And, no matter how many times one does the elementary school math, the following, cold, stark reality confrontation is inevitable: That ol’ running out of money before running out of life conundrum.
Once the easy budgetary cuts have been exhausted, one does feel compelled to consider the more unconventional concessions; e.g., re-defining life’s necessities. To that end, when my manufactured in the 20th century car failed to turn over one mid May day, I opted to run a one month long experiment (which eventually stretched out to six months). To add more authenticity to this study would require leaving my auto dysfunctional; you know, to better simulate what being car-less actually feels like.
However, it’d take another injury (unrelated to my occupational injury) to intro me to two strangers; who, in turn, were to become the personification of the premise / the very foundation, which this Daily Prompt’s assignment is built upon.
By August, for reasons unknown, whilst I had slept, my left knee had stiffened up. Since I could barely get around my own home, how could I ever, possibly, make it to the grocery store? How would my knee handle the extra weight of my hand carried bags? Well, since unforeseen injury, too, was another weighty factor to consider during my experiment, I decided to limp my way to the store, anyway. True, it had taken me twice as long, but I did arrive / survive.
However, with the return leg of my journey barely underway, I just had to set my bags down on the sidewalk to determine if redistributing their contents might prove helpful? Well, that’s when I heard the approaching from behind, concerned, yet friendly, sounding voice of a complete stranger. She was offering to help me carry my bags home.
Upon my mere mention of the long journey, yet to come, she went back inside her condo; soon emerging whilst wheeling forth a (fold-able) grocery cart; one which could easily accommodate all four of my bags. Even tho she mentioned she no longer needed it, that her cart was now mine to keep, I still offered to buy it; all to no avail, for, within her heart, my heartfelt gratitude would be payment enough.
It was whilst wheeling my groceries home that I found my eyes occasionally welling up a bit, each and every time I considered how someone, who I had never even met, had actually cared about my well-being. And as moving as that already was / still is, this story’s end had / has yet to come.
By mid October, with fall’s distinct chill in the air, with my knee self-restored to full, pain-free functionality, I was once again hoofing it to the supermarket. That’s when a fortuitous chain reaction got set into motion.
A nearby pedestrian, walking her leash-less, barking-at-me dog, prompted my crossing the street and entering a driveway; one where a parked truck was partially blocking my altered path. Whilst veering around it and looking over my shoulder, I spotted a familiar logo painted on the vehicle’s door; that of a local, reputable towing / road service firm.
After greeting the mechanic, who was busily changing a flat tire, I asked him how much he’d charge for a jump start; quickly adding that I lived in the vicinity. With a shrugged grin he said, since he was already in the neighborhood, he’d do it for free! About a half hour later, within a mere minute, his jumper box had roared my car back to life!
I still offered to pay, but he told me that, in the interest of good public relations, he, at times, offers his service, pro bono. Alas, the news wasn’t all good. His prediction that my vehicle’s ancient, corroded battery might not hold the charge did prove true; all of which required his return the following morn. Even more stunningly, once again, he waved off my reopened wallet.
That second jump allowed me to drive to the dealership to keep my repair appointment. Two hours later, with a new battery and infusion of fresh oil, coolant and brake fluid all rejuvenating my vehicle, my experiment had come to an end; save to say…
Tho it did feel good to finally be back on the road, the best feeling of all had come courtesy of my random encounters with both of these strangers. I still cherish meeting them, to this very day. And if I wind up dying with a smile on my face I’m sure that’ll be due, in part, to my recollections of how they had been there for me in my moments of need. All in all, what could possibly be more positive than how they had wound up rejuvenating; jump starting my life.
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Be humans Vaxxed OR Unvaxxed, We
can still shed and spread the batcrap
crazy contagious coronavirus which,
in turn, spawns new variants; which,
in turn, could, eventually, render the
available vaccines worthless; which,
in turn, will drag out the pandemic’s
needless suffering, illness and death!
HENCE… this easy as pie, cover your
nose and pie-hole/hole-up heads-up:
Stay Publicly / Properly Masked!
Stay Safe at Home!
Stay Healthy!
-30-
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CommonSenseTom 