Several years ago I was returning to Oklahoma City from a visit in El Paso, Texas. It is about an 11 hour drive up Highway 54 and onto Interstate 40. Much of the trip is through a very beautiful, yet desolate area. About 2 hours into my trip, 30 minutes outside of Alamogordo, N.M., and past the fringes of civilization, I blew a tire. At this time the stretch of Highway 54 I was on was only two lanes wide and there was only sand for a shoulder. First off, though I understand how you are supposed to change a tire, I had never changed one and didn’t dare try it on a sandy shoulder. Also, if I was to continue on to Oklahoma I couldn’t do it on a temporary tire. Fortunately I did have a cell phone with reception in the area, so I was able to place a call to an Auto Repair Shop in Alamogordo and ask a mechanic to buy a tire for me in town, and bring it out to me and put it on. It cost a small fortune, but was well worth it. The only catch was that I would probably end up having to wait at least an hour before the mechanic would be able to get there.

Traffic was sparse, mainly 18 wheelers. I couldn’t understand at first why they weren’t stopping and offering to help “a damsel in distress.” Well, in retrospect it wouldn’t have been very prudent to pull a big rig into a bunch of sand. Besides I was staying in my car because I was in the desert in the hot season, and also I didn’t want to advertise that I was a lone female out in the middle of nowhere.

After I had been sitting on the side of the road for maybe 20 minutes a couple in a pick-up pulled over and the male passenger approached my car and asked what was the matter. I explained the whole tire situation and told him that a mechanic was on the way and thanked him for stopping. He returned to his truck and I presumed they would leave. They stayed, keeping sentry as it were, which definitely settled my nerves a bit. Another 20 minutes or so passed and then the man approached my car. He said that he and his wife were having sandwiches and offered me one. I took it and thanked him profusely. In the back of my mind I do have to admit reflecting on the fact that it isn’t good to take food from strangers, but heck these people had been sitting with me now for 20 minutes, surely they weren’t going to poison me now. I enjoyed the sandwich. It was probably another 20 minutes before the mechanic arrived. They waited until the whole tire process was underway to leave. I went up to them and thanked them again. They offered me something to drink. Giving without receiving anything but a thanks to the end.

This couple’s act of kindness really touched me even more than I was able to express at the time. If they are out there and read this story, “Thank you!” And since you helped me, I have had the opportunity to pass it on, on several occasions.

Laura
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