The flat tire (standard:non fiction, 1261 words)
Author: kyspartan	Added: Mar 22 2002	Views/Reads: 4032/2360	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
I've always depended on the kindness of strangers...

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

errand while he started to unscrew the cover to the spare, a donut.  As 
we walked over to the side of the car, we noticed another man had 
pulled over and was climbing out of his pickup truck to help. 

“Oh, if I knew you had help I wouldn't have stopped.  Oh well, can I
lend a hand?” 

The first man, Good Samaritan #1, told Good Samaritan #2 to come on
over, and they proceeded to change the tire together while I looked on. 
 The kids were fascinated with the entire thing, begging me to let them 
get out of the car so they could watch.  After repeatedly explaining 
why I didn't want them on the busy road, they finally resigned 
themselves to peeking out the window and shooting question after 
question to #1 and #2. 

“What's your name?” 

“What are you doing?” 

“Why is that tire so small?” 

“How does that thing make the car go up like that?” 

As my children learned all about tire changing and I looked on, I was
amazed when another man pulled up and parked behind the second man's 
truck to see if we needed more help.  He was waved on by #1 and #2, 
with assurances that they had the situation well under control.  Real 
men don't need help changing tires. 

Never before in my life has one person stopped to help me when I've
needed it, let alone three.  As I stood and watched them work on the 
side of the road, I was overcome with a tremendous feeling of gratitude 
to these men who had stopped to help a complete stranger even though 
they probably had somewhere to go and may even be late because of me.  
I have been so caught up in my own problems lately, worrying about 
money, my career, and all of the other every day stuff that we worry 
about, and this small act of kindness took me so off guard that I felt 
tears ready to spill out of my eyes when I considered it. 

Before I knew it they were gone, accepting my thanks and apology that I
didn't have any money to give them with “Glad to help” and “Any time.”  
I got back into the car and sat for a minute, willing myself not to cry 
about something so silly as someone being kind to me.  No time to get 
sappy, we had to get going.  We were already late for karate and I 
still had to get Austin to his dad's and then on to work. 

It wasn't until I had finally gotten the kids off and was on my way that
I remembered the AAA card in my wallet... 


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