Today is Thursday. Outside of my normal everyday work, I had two "out of my norm", challenges this week.
First on Monday, my car was struck from behind while I sat a traffic light. I had just watched an mid morning movie and was on my way to each lunch when I was struck from behind as I sat the read light. The other driver initially waved me off as I got out of my car as if to say nothing happened. Then she exited her car and stated that I hit her. I didn't react or get mad. I simply got smart and took a picture of her car and license plate, and called the police - all with my smartphone. It was then and only then that she began to calm down as I relayed the situation to the police.
Normally I wouldn't have jumped to such measures, since there was very little physical damage to either car. However, her initial behavior led me to believe that she was about to take off. Even more I already suffer permanent back disc injuries from a car accident years ago. There was a mild concern there. As we waited for the police, the woman began to lobby passerbys for agreement to her cause - that nothing had happened. As strange as this was, I still completely ignored her and made sure that my car was now out of the way of traffic.
The police arrived and a report made. The police officer also observed her strange and contradictive behavior as she agreed about the accident, but told the officer everything was okay and that he could leave. There was visible damage to the car, (and the eventual aggravation to my pre-existing injuries). She also was making a strange religious prayer in my direction that even made the officer questioned her about.
Surely enough, I had neck pain the following two days afterwards. But I was proud that I did not lose my cool at the accident scene with this woman. I honestly kept thinking about the words of kindness and positiveness in this blog.
The second thing that happened, occurred yesterday (Wednesday) morning. As I was exiting my house to drive to a very important 8am morning meeting for my job. Just as I was locking my door I heard a car "panic" alarm go off. I looked around at the cars in my driveway and the neighboring driveways on my block - trying to figure out which car had it's alarm sounding. It was only after I looked across the street that I realized that my 70 year old neighbor was sitting in her driveway in front of her car and had triggered it's panic switch.
For one millionth of a second, I actually had to consider how long it would take me to help her up and calling an ambulance, etc. - or just helping her up, leaving quickly and making my meeting on time. I thought about this for only a millionth of a second. Life or work?
I chose life - and kept work out of my mind. The meeting would be there whether I was late or not. After running over to help her, and with the help of her brother in law, who came out of the house after also hearing the car alarm - we got her to her feet. She refused any further help. She had just tripped on a plastic garbage bag she was carrying and fell to the ground to her knees and then onto her butt. Her knees were scraped up a little bit. We got her up and inside. Another neighbor also came over after seeing the commotion and hearing the car alarm.
Off I went to work. I was only 2 minutes late to my meeting. But both of these events really made me think about how easy all of us can become caught up within ourselves after we make a mistake or in the occurrence of an accident. In both events - if you can imagine how different the outcome if the woman in the car showed one ounce of concern for striking my car as well as my physical well being, rather than her own "self" embarrassment from causing the accident. And in case of my fallen neighbor - even I almost fell prey to "self" and flinched...for a millisecond...to come to the aid of a neighbor - a 70 year old woman, sitting on the ground in a drizzly morning rain. But I chose life. I chose my neighbor...my fellow man.
We all need to remember these things. We've survived thousands of years of evolution from learning how to help one another. We all must remember.
Be blessed. Stay positive!
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