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Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Gatorade Bottle
Since embarking on this latest adventure of mine beginning May 1, 2013, I have house/puppy sat, delivered and retrieved friends from the airport, created art, camped out in a hospital waiting room with a friend whose mother was gravely ill (she recovered!), ventured to Florida, attended a wedding and a funeral, visited friends and family, swam and ate a lot of ice cream (shhh....), as well as cleaned and painted houses. It can be sometimes a bit scary not knowing what my next step will be. I have put my trust in listening to my intuition to guide me to be exactly where I need to be.
Last weekend after house/puppy sitting for my friend in Muncie I was headed to assist in a couple of projects for a friend in Illinois. About 10 miles NE of Indianapolis I was caught up in traffic for road construction. I began to doubt if I had made the correct choice in leaving when I did. A white car pulls up beside me and a guy rolls down his window to ask me if I have an empty Gatorade bottle. I just laugh and tell him no, knowing that I was not the only one who needed to pee in this slow long line. About 10 minutes later I see the car pulled to the side of the road and two little kids climb out of the backseat into the ditch. I have been there with my kids when they were young. I begin to think of the stories I could embellish about the car pulling up beside me asking for the Gatorade bottle. This helps keep my mind off my need for a bathroom and gives my imagination a chuckle.
After finally getting through the traffic I pull off on an exit to get fuel and use the restroom. Walking into the gas station I become aware of a lady with a cane who appears upset standing right outside the entrance. I notice a couple talking to her and figure out from their conversation that she has locked her keys in the car. I ask if she would like be to call my roadside service card to have them come unlock it for her. She thanks me and tells me that she has someone on the way to help. I relieve my bladder and pay for my gas. Walking out of the store to pump the fuel the guy asks how long do I think it would take for my roadside service to get there. I tell him it depends on how busy they are. I become aware that the lady is having a difficult time standing and see a walker in the back of her silver 2007 PT Cruiser. I begin moving cases of water in front of the Speedway on Rockville road and make a seat for her. She informs me that she has called a locksmith. I tell her to save her money and cancel them and I call my service. On my way back in the store to collect the money from my prepayment for gas that I could not pump into my car, the guy helping her hands me a piece of paper and asks if I would like a FREE GATORADE! Chills run up and down my body. Yes, I was on the right path at the right time. He had earned the Gatorade with his Speedy Rewards Card. I had also chosen to purchase gas at this Speedway for the rewards and an added bonus in August of winning gas for a year. The marketing people at Speedway know how to get me in there store. IMAGINE what I could do with gas for a year! But I digress from my story.
While we were waiting for the roadside service to arrive we share stories, laugh, cry and hug a few times. I don't remember the lady's name or the name of the couple who took time out of their Friday night to help her as well, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that their are lots of KIND people in the world.
"I think our legacy is really the lives we touch, the inspiration we give, altering someone's plan- if even for a moment- and getting them to think,rage, cry, laugh, argue, or walk around the block dazed. (I do that a lot after seeing powerful theater!)
More then anything, we are remembered for our smiles; the ones we share with our closest and dearest, and the ones we bestow on a total stranger who needs it right then, and God has put us here to deliver."
~Carrie Hamilton 12/05/1963-1/20/2002
from Carol Burnett's book "Carrie and Me"
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