Good People
by Steve Goodier
A doctor said to his patient, "You have a slight heart condition,
but
I wouldn't worry about it."
"Really, Doc?" the patient replied. "Well, if you had a slight heart
condition, I wouldn't worry about it either."
We can sometimes get the impression that most of the world is more
or
less out for themselves and that people care little about the plight
of others. But I choose to believe differently. I believe that a lot
of people are basically concerned about others, even if they don't
always know how to express it. That is perhaps why a certain story,
clipped years ago and filed away, has remained one of my favorites
to
this day.
A trucker relates that he was traveling through rural North Carolina
on I-95 when a brown sedan merged onto the highway. It weaved back
and
forth between lanes, causing the driver of the truck to shift into a
lower gear. At first he thought the driver was drunk, but when he
came
closer, the trucker saw an old man shaking uncontrollably behind the
wheel. He noticed a Citizen's Band aerial whipping to and fro as the
car jerked between lanes, so he called on the radio: "You in the
brown
Chevy, if you can hear me, pull over. Pull off the road!"
Amazingly, he did! The trucker pulled up behind the car and climbed
from his cab. The elderly man staggered from his auto and fell into
the trucker's arms. He poured out a story of months of fear and pain
that accompanied the illness of his only daughter.
Now he was returning from the hospital where it was decided that she
would cease any further treatment. In the hospital he remained
"strong" and stoic for his daughter, but out on the road he fell
apart.
The two men talked for the good part of an hour. The father
eventually
decided to share his pain with his daughter and said he felt good
enough to drive home. The men embraced and the trucker followed him
for 50 miles. As they drove along, the two talked together on the
radio.
The older man finally acknowledged that his exit was ahead and
thanked
his new friend again for the help. The trucker asked if he could
make
it home all right and, suddenly, a third voice broke in on the
conversation: "Breaker 19, don't worry, good buddy. Go your way.
I'll
see him home!" Glancing in his mirror, he saw a livestock truck move
into
the exit lane behind the brown sedan.
I think there are good people the world over. People who will gladly
give that caring touch, a needed warm embrace or a patient and
listening ear. They are like angels who lift us to our feet when our
wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
Look around. You're sure to see one. And look in the mirror. You
might
spot one there, too.
__________
Steve Goodier
Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com is a professional
speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for
more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life,
Love and Laughter at
http://LifeSupportSystem.com.