High Heeled Boots, Ice and a Stranger

It was several years ago. I was driving home from work. I was approaching my exit when I saw a young man walking on the freeway with a gas can. I remember seeing his car on the side of the road. He was out of gas smack dab between exits and not close to either one at all. I watched him in my review mirror. I remember saying out loud to myself, if he is at my car before the light turns green for me to turn to head home, I would ask him if needs help. I was letting the light determine the fate of what I would do.

The light was still red.

I rolled down my window and asked him if he needed a ride to the gas station. He jumped in and said he was on his way to his sister's soccer banquet and thought he could make it. His mom was going to kill him if he wasn't there. So, I took him to the gas station and got back on the freeway to take him to his car. He was so thankful and appreciative. I knew I did the right thing.

I got home and told my husband and he was none to happy with me at all. He could have been an axe murderer for crying out loud! Obviously he wasn't as I was standing right there in front of him.

So I called my mom for a little back up. She agreed with Scott that it wasn't the wisest decision I made. It could have been unsafe.

Here I was wanting accolades, and was getting grief!

Last Friday Georgia shut down because of snow and ice. I still went ahead and went into the office. I do not have a lap top and cannot work from home and had quite a bit of work to do. I was actually doing quite well. I was driving all careful and everything. My hands were at 10 and 2 like the driver's manual says. Safety was my middle name.

I was really close to work. Really. Close.

I has just crossed over an icy patch and was approaching a hill of ice. I had no reason to think that I wouldn't be able to make it up the hill. I had crossed over everything else. There were people behind me going to attempt the same thing.

My car had other ideas.

It could not grip the ice to get up the hill. I was stuck. People behind me turned around and went the other direction. People who had 4 wheel drive, just passed me. Did I mention I WAS STUCK?

I try to call Scott thinking that he could give me some words of wisdom to get me up that hill, but he didn't answer because he was in the shower. I tried calling work but they didn't have any suggestions.

I am a California girl. I don't know how to drive in anything but sunshine, much less, ice.

So, I decide I am going to back up.

Now, all of you should know that I can't back up on a good day. I can't. Hell, I have trouble getting my car between the two white lines of the parking spaces at the office and get made fun of on a regular basis.

But back up is what I decided to do.

And then the car started sliding all sideways like. AND SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME. Scott would kill me if I wrecked the car. He had wanted me to stay home anyhow.

So there I am panicked on the middle of an icy hill.

The by the grace of GOD and nice man walked up the hill to my car and said he could help me. I tried to explain that I was from Cali and we like don't get like ice there and I could totally use some like help, fer sure!

I get out of the car wearing these darling heeled boots and he takes one look at me, shakes his head and says - "Oh, honey, you are from California, aren't you!"

When he gets in the car, he looks at me and says - "You are going to think that I don't have control of the car, but I do." He then proceeds to slide my down the hill. The back end got all sorts of wiggy and I knew we were gonna die.

But control he did have and got me turned around and headed in a better direction.

I thanked him over and over. Actually, I did everything but kiss him.

I am sure I was the talk at his dinner table that night.

And I tell you all of this because we should really treat people the way we want to be treated.

And if they happen to be axe murderers......well, I don't know what to tell you about that!