Some days things happen to me and I think “I am the luckiest human being in the universe and I hope I never forget it”. This even happens when I don’t win the lotto or even get close to it, it happens when I realise how lucky I am to have people in my life.
This morning my car went in for a service. Huge big nuisance factor but not the end of the world – hopefully the end of that hideous scraping noise I hear every time I slow down. I dropped the car at the service station and being ever mindful of the fact that summer is around the corner I decided to walk home. Again not the end of the world – hopefully the end to my widening girth.
The call to tell me about all the extra costs was followed by a call to say that the car was ready for collection so I grabbed Fluffy Pencil (he has an even wider girth than me) and we set off to collect the car. At the busiest intersection on our route I leaned down to put a leash on Fluffy Pencil (FP). I snuck in a little pat on the head and while I was leaning over and admiring his beauty I heard a huge almighty CRASH. This was followed by a couple of smaller but still mighty bangs, some skidding and lots of glass breaking. Amazingly I did not see what actually happened to cause the accident but I did see the aftermath.
Two heavily battered cars pulled up onto the side of the road to exchange details and FP and I walked over to see if we could help. Out of the car that had done the actual colliding came an old, old man dressed in black. He was shaking heavily and had his wiry, aged hand held unsteadily over his obviously pounding heart. He looked shocking and shocked all at the same time. I walked over to him and urged him to please sit down and gather his breath. He was so shaken he could hardly hear me. At this point the woman from the other car emerged and she was equally shaken, however, my quick assessment of her was that she was able to handle the situation a lot more than the old man could. I have to admit to some enormous relief when an actual witness came and went over to the woman thus allowing me to concentrate all my attentions on the shaky man.
It is very hard for me to comfort a stranger without touching them, not in a hideous kind of way but you know that hand on the arm reassuring touch. But I was too scared to touch this man in case he fell over. He was that shaken. I tried to go to a nearby house to get some sugar water for him but he looked aghast when I tried to leave. So I stayed and stroked his arm from afar and waited for him to gather his strength.
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He told me that he had just come from a funeral and the tears welled in my eyes. He told me he never saw the traffic lights through his own tears and my tears pushed at my eyes. I asked him if I could phone a family member for him so that they could come and collect him and when he told me he had no family or friends to call, the tears flooded my eyes and streamed down my face.
And then I reached out to hold him and the fear of him falling over was replaced by my need to show him that he was not alone in the world.
So this blog entry serves as my note to self about how lucky I am to have the family and friends that I have and to thank them for being there for me, during my accidents, during my happy times, during my sad times and during those times when I have needed to have my arm stroked.
PS. I could not drive the man home as I had no car – remember my story? We did however get a tow truck to take away his car and an ambulance to check that he was okay. He did not want to give me his details (perhaps he was scared of all my crying) so I cannot check up on him but I just hope that he is okay and that he knows that I care.
You are such a beautiful person Lana. Crying episode number 2 of the day for me. 🙂
Teary here too reading that. Sometimes a stranger doing a kind deed is all that is needed to help. Even though he didn’t give you his details, he has been shown compassion, and been given comfort. He will know you cared.
Thank you (and sorry for making you teary)xx
Oh Bern and Lana you have both made me cry today and I feel very lucky that you have both shared your stories with me.
xx
Thank you for sharing my story – and don’t think you got off so lightly. I cried at your comment on Bern’s blog!
Oh Lana,
Well done. So many people are frightened of reaching out yet if we all did it more the world would be a better place.
I had one of those moments a few months ago when I found an old lady wandering on the road outside of her retirement home. She wanted to go to her own house, she hadn’t settled in, everyone else was “old and batty”. She was very confused and upset and all I could think was that she could be my grandmother – or me one day in the future. She had created a mini traffic jam, and yet no one else had stopped their car – they were just slowly driving around the old lady with the walker -in the middle of the road.
I am no saint but I was shocked how many cars had gone by before someone was able to help her.
Just quietly, I think you are a bit of a saint dramaqueen. If I have learned anything in life it is that sometimes stopping and listening is all you can do
You just did the best girl guide good deed of the day there and it came from your huge, generous heart. It was a terrible thing to see but you did what you could. Little kindnesses go a long way. Human touch comforts, heals and reassures.
Love you girl xx
Thank you. I like being a girl guide. Makes me feel young and girlish xxx
Lana that is just beautiful… I wish he had given you his details so that tonight he could have come home to a home cooked tea at your house.
No spray tan needed for this event 🙂
Crying episode no. 2 for me too after reading Bern’s this morn.
Elderly people who are shaken up stir up so much emotion in me because my own parents are in their 80s, and in Perth where I can’t help them on a day to day basis.
Good on you Lana for looking after him. I hope that if my father were in the same position (God forbid) there’d be someone like you to help him thru if I wasn’t there.
x
Thanks Jodie – My parents are also far away (in South Africa) and I think that is part of the reason I felt so much for this poor lonely man
A wonderful example of how goodness, kindness and compassion are what glues us together as humankind. Without them we would be lost.
It makes my heart glad to read your story (and that of dramaqueen’s)- thankyou .
too right. Thank you
Oh my! Lana! Crying episode no. 3 for me today… Between you and Bern…
Oh well… I think what you did there today will mean so much to that man. I know as someone who is so far away from friends and family that feeling of utter “alone-ness” can become all too overwhelming in times of stress or pain…
So just that your ever gentle presence there this morning will mean the world to this poor old man. And simply by his experiencing your kindness he will perhaps pass it on to someone he sees in trouble…. You truly are a beautiful soul, Lana…!! xxxxxx
Sometimes it is the littlest acts of human warmth & kindess that make a difference. How typically that he did not want to give you his details & bother you. I do hope that he is okay. What a terribly bitter sweet tale.
I thought you were going to say that you found out the accident was caused because you bent over to put the lead on your dog and flashed at the cars leading to a moment of distraction for one of the drivers LOL
That poor man was so lucky to have you as the person by his side, to stroke his arm and just be there with him. I don’t think it can ever be underestimated just how much that would have meant to him and what a difference it made to his world. You are a very special person. xx
SUCH a moving story, and so very beautifully told .
You may not have been able to change his life, but that day, you were his angel.
Shame Lans what a sad story. It is unbelievably sad how many people there are in this world that are truely alone. I agree, it doesn’t matter what happens in our lives, we have to be thankful every day that we have people who love and care for us and whom WE can call if WE get into an accident and need a ride home!
Bloody hell Lana, you got me welling up at work! Touching story.