[OT] a Good Samaritan story

I bought a new lawn mower tonight, because my 12-year-old mower was
getting less and less reliable. I should have had the store clerks
help me put the new mower in the car, but, instead, I rolled the
shopping cart out to my car. Getting the mower into the car proved
trickier than expected. It weighed about 40 pounds, a manageable
weight, but the only two handholds in the box were at opposite ends, a
full yard (about a meter) apart, and the box was slippery. I got the
box out of the shopping cart, but had difficulty fitting it into my
car door.

As I was struggling to get the box into my back seat, a pickup truck
pulled up to me and a rather scary biker-type got out. He had a
shaven head, lots of tattoos, lots of piercings, and gang-style
clothing. He politely asked if I needed help, and I said "Yes,
thanks!"

Tanada...

I love paying it forward. I really think that for every time we've
helped someone, we've been helped at least three times as much.

I'm more scared of the clean cut looking type than I am of the grunge,
biker, goth, or strange types. I figure that the clean cut types are
more likely to be trying to fit in, in order to pull off a nasty. So
I'm prejudiced.

People ask me why I want to teach high school kids. I always tell them
that the kids are still as wonderful as they ever were. It's just that
those who act up are more publicized than they were back ten to twenty
years ago. Personally, I get a kick out of the trench coat mafia,
goths, preppies, jocks, socks, geeks and freaks. Watching them walk
around the school is like a whole parade for free.

I've had them carry my groceries, help with my school bag, open doors,
loan me their cell phones, help me with studies, explain computer
functions, and more. They're great people and I'm proud to know them.
I'm even more proud of their parents who let them be themselves without
trying to force their aesthetic standards upon them.

Pam S.

He and I got the lawn mower box maneuvered into my back seat, and I
thanked him and shook his hand. He drove off, and I was reminded, as
in the Biblical story of the Good Samaritan, that someone whom you
wouldn't normally expect to be helpful can turn out to be a good
neighbor, indeed.

polonca12000...

What a nice story!
Best wishes,
Polonca and Soncek

Chakolate...

Bravo! to the biker. People can be super sometimes, eh?

I had something similar happen to me yesterday. My car has died, and it
was sitting in front of my apartment building waiting to be fixed, but
notices were posted Thursday that there was no parking Friday for street
cleaning.

It's a tiny little car, so I put it in neutral and tried pushing it
myself. I prolly (maybe) could have managed it, but a perfect stranger
came by and just helped me push it. He told me to get in, but I told him
that would double the weight of the car and he wouldn't be able to push
it himself. ;-) It only took two minutes out of his day, but he sure
made a huge difference in mine.

Now I shall have to find some instance in which I can pay it forward.
One mustn't let these things die.

Joy...

What a great experience, and what great material for a speech! I once had a
similar experience, which I used in a speech reminding myself and others not
to judge a book by its cover. It's funny how we know that, but we have to
keep learning it over and over.

Jo Firey...

Hey I'm always glad to see the big ole biker types and the tattooed
construction workers when I at Home Depot. They always help without being
asked.

I figure they have Grandma's too,

I really love it when a teenager helps out on his own, and that happens
surprisingly often.
Jo

mlbriggs...

Did you have any trouble getting it out at home? MLB