“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” — William James
Last week I wrote about how the city responded to the aftermath of the storm. This week I would like to comment on how citizens handled the devastation that occurred at their own homes as well as the homes of their friends, neighbors and families.
I heard so many wonderful stories about people helping one another during and after the storm. I learned of a gentleman who rushed over to a 90+-year-old neighbor who lived alone. He knew she could not get down to her basement so he went over to assist her and stay with her until the storm was over.
Three young boys went around the neighborhood in the Andrews Street area offering to clean up yards. When asked how much they were charging, they replied “No charge; we’re just trying to help people.”
One of the hardest hit areas was the Arlington Addition. It was neighbors helping neighbors as they worked together to clean up the large number of fallen trees.
It reminded me of a story, “What Goes around Comes Around.”
One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim of light, he could see she needed help. He pulled his old Pontiac up in front of her Mercedes and got out.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help her for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt and said, “I’m here to help you ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. As he was tightening the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began talking to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only passing through. She thanked him for his help.
Bryan smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been alright with her, she was so grateful. Bryan never considered being paid. This was not a job; it was helping someone in need. He thought of all the people who had given him a hand in the past.
He told her if she wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give help them, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good inside as he headed for home.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small café. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she continued her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for a whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was about eight months pregnant, but she didn’t let the strain and the aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get her change, but the old lady was gone. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the old lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there, too. Someone helped me out, the way I am helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do, don’t let this chain of love end with you.” Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill and people to serve. That night when she got home from work she thought about the day. How could the lady know how much she and her husband needed the money? With the baby due next month, it was going to help so much. She knew how worried her husband was; as he lay sleeping she gave him a soft kiss and whispered softly, “I just know everything is going to be OK, I love you, Bryan Anderson.”
Our community is like that, people helping people.
The answer to last week’s question — Who owned WI Film & Bag in 1986? — is John Rupple.
This week’s question is: Who owned Mehlberg’s Bakery in 1976?
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