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Good Deed: Make People Happy (By Stopping!)
little Indiana is challenging you to do a good deed. When you see someone at the side of the road? Stop to help!
Good Deed
As you probably guessed, we are frequently driving around from one Indiana town to another. We do run into car trouble every now and again both with and without the kids.
Our worst experience ever was when we were an hour from home and an hour from any family. We were stranded. It was hot. We were in the middle of literally nowhere. Let me back up a minute to say that the kids? Had had a very full day.
Kid #2 at that time was around 9 months old and still hadn’t slept more than an hour or two at a time. Each night. Every night. We were usually exhausted and the heat certainly wasn’t helping anything.
Indiana Mosquitos (As Big As Your Head!)
Where our car decided to die was swarming with mosquitoes…which both of our boys happen to be super allergic to. They don’t just get itchy bites, they get bites that swell up. They couldn’t get out of the car because of the bugs and inside of the car, with windows rolled down and trunk open, was hot. We had nothing to eat. It was ages before anyone stopped to see if we needed help.
In that case, hours later, family came to the rescue. I am pretty sure I listened to Kid #2 cry and scream from exhaustion and heat for almost four hours nonstop–the time when we finally made it into a house. I was beyond frazzled at that point.
We have vowed ever since that day to always stop to see if anyone by the side of the road needs help.
Helping Others
We’ve changed tires, we’ve jumped cars, and two weeks ago while heading down to Santa Claus, Indiana, we gave a woman a ride to her house. She had a cell phone but her hubby was in Chicago and her son wasn’t around either. It was hot out there. And her house? Was way the heck out in a small town in the country.
Believe you me, it’s easier to talk yourself into not stopping. To pretend that the person has a cellphone and has someone coming to get them. But you know what? In our experience so far, the majority has had no one. Like the guy we helped who was headed toward Kentucky.
He had two big dogs in his car, his tire had gone flat, it was unseasonably cold, and he didn’t have a jack–or a winter coat! We were on our way to the Indiana Tourism Media Marketplace but stopped anyway. We had a jack, hubs helped him change the tire, then followed him to the gas station to make sure his flat spare would get him there okay before continuing on.
Yes, we were on our way to do other things. Important Things. But–we stopped anyway. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone did the same for you?
I challenge you to do a good deed, to make someone happy, and to stop and assist when you see someone at the side of the road. If I’m alone? Probably not going to happen–but I will call, let someone know, and provide the mile marker they are near.
Been There. Done That.
We’ve all been there. Isn’t it time we stopped worrying about our schedules, our appointments, and even our “nice” clothes, and just help someone out when they need it most? Stopping has made me late each and every time. The conference started just fine without me. Santa Claus, Indiana didn’t go anywhere, either.
Stepping off my soapbox now. We can’t live our lives being afraid of what might happen. Do a good deed and help someone at the side of the road. It doesn’t mean they need your help, but they will be glad that someone bothered to even try!
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