When Opportunity Presents...

 This is an experience that I feel compelled to share.

On Sunday afternoon we were out, the 4 of us, traveling from one spot to another and we had an afternoon lined up.  We'd ventured not too far from home for something to do between Christmas and New Year's Eve.  We were almost to our destination and prepared to drop the boys off at the hotel and my husband and I were going to an antique mall in the area.  We thought we'd do that then have a nice dinner and head home the following  morning.  As with many plans that are made, these ones didn't quite turn out the way we had thought they would.  Life has a way of creating opportunities and situations that we could never "plan".

It began to snow, not too much at first but as we continued on our way it began to snow a little more and the roads were becoming a bit slick.  The plows hadn't been by and the visibility was getting a little mucky.  Watching speed and concentrating on the road became more of a focus than usual.   Highway driving can be more difficult in snowy conditions because people forget to slow down, to drive with care and caution in wet weather.

We reached our exit and as we were making the lane change, our car began to slide a bit.  Nothing unusual at this time of year and when you live in a place that gets snow, you learn how to drive in it.  If you don't, you have some very unsettling experiences to look forward to.  There was a car in front of us, a lightweight red Mustang and the driver didn't quite manage the lane change.  The car began to slide and the driver wasn't well versed in what to do when that happens.  He was fairly close to simply going over the edge of the ramp which would have been potentially dangerous to him as it was a bit of a drop.  Instead, he plowed into a large bank of snow at the shoulder.  And saved his life I'm sure.  That said, he was well and truly stuck in there.

We pulled to the other shoulder and while I'm saying "we have to help him", everyone else had the same thought.  There wasn't much that could be done to get the driver out of that snow bank because he was wedged in there with snow right up under the chassis and up to the hood of the car.  Add to this it was continuing to snow and it was cold.  The decision was made when it was evident that even with shovels this car could not be dug out, that we would use our CAA (equivalent to AAA) membership to help this young man out of his predicament.  How old was he?  Not much older than our children -- in his early 20s.  He admitted that he wasn't used to driving in the snow as there wasn't much of it where he was from and he was using his sister's car.  Add to that the battery in his phone had died and if no one had stopped he didn't even have a way to call for help.  Once the call was made to the CAA line it was just a matter of waiting for the proper help to arrive.  We were told it was considered urgent as the accident had happened on the off ramp and was potentially dangerous for other drivers (indeed...there were some who came down that ramp at high speed without regard for the road conditions and there were a few times I was worried we'd be rear-ended).  Within 25 minutes the tow truck arrived, hooked up to the Mustang and had it out of the snow in 5 minutes (or less).  The car also needed a boost -- leaving the 4 way flashers on to indicate that he was there completely drained the battery.  A most grateful young man left us and made his way to his destination.

What did I notice most about this opportunity?  That it was a good reminder for our children -- always have your phone charged when you leave the house -- you never know what might happen.  Remember what you do when the car slides and how you handle that spin or fish tail.  Be dressed properly for the weather, even if you think you're only going a short distance.  Sitting in a cold car without proper clothing is asking for trouble.  Neither of my sons had gloves but I had some mittens in my purse and believe me, they came in handy!  And if you don't have a motor league membership, it's a good idea to have one and keep it up.  For the cost over a year it's well worth it.  We may not use it often, but the times when we have had need of it we've been very glad we've got it.

How many people actually stopped to help?  One woman who got out of her car and asked what she could do.  Another woman pulled up beside me and asked if she could help.  She told me that the local garage was close and it wouldn't take the man long to reach us.  An older man stopped to ask if he could help.  Another younger man pulled up to me and asked if we had things under control.  And about 25 other cars simply sailed on past.  For whatever their reasons.

I'm not talking about this because I think we did a great thing or to pat ourselves on the back.  I'm talking about this because situations like this happen every day.  It's about stepping up when you can.  Those 2 women who stopped and especially the one who got out of her car?  Yes, it was mid-afternoon and there was "safety" in realizing that the car that was stuck couldn't do them any harm.  But there was our vehicle and in this day with people who aren't always on the up and up, it's a risk for a woman on her own to help.  But they did offer.  All those men?  I hope they never have a situation where they need the help of a stranger.

And I know this.  As a mother, I would not have left that young man there.  Nor would my husband.  It's the kind of people we are, but it's more than that.  We put ourselves into that situation and if anything like this ever happened to one of our children, we'd hope that someone would help to get them through the difficulty.

By the time we checked in at the hotel it was too late to go to the antique mall and truly, we were tired and a little drained...not really in the mood to browse through junk.  We headed out for a late lunch/early dinner....the boys threw some snowballs in the parking lot before we headed back to the hotel and we spent a quiet night in...them in their room watching TV, us in our room watching TV and being grateful that no one was injured that day, that all were safe.

We're here to help one another, to be supportive and lend a hand when we can.  When opportunity presents itself you simply do the right thing.