My position in life is hardly notable or brag-worthy. Often times it feels like a difficult struggle for me but I carry on. I remind myself that there are people worse off than I am and that I shouldn't complain because I've got more going for me than they do.
One of those things I've got is a five kilometer walk to the nearest place I can apply for jobs. Roughly three kilometers of that is forested and the rest is rural residential areas (AKA trailer parks). Several times while walking that road I've been offered a ride, and I've accepted them.
This has been universally described as stupid and reckless by my roommates. They say that you can't trust the people around here, that I'll end up raped and dead in a ditch. This morning I was ground down enough that I was ready to believe that.
I set out on my daily routine of job hunting adamant that I was going to refuse anybody who offered to give me a lift. I was telling myself that people are bad and that I can't trust them. Fate slapped me when the oddest thing happened.
A man driving the opposite direction I was walking, and in a Camaro no less, offered me a ride. Before I had time to respond he did a U-turn...right into a ditch. This well dressed twenty something in a shiny sportscar got stuck and he felt embarrassed, but he kept a cool and level head, and he was kind and courteous despite that as he tried to rock it free the mud guard got broken off of his front bumper.
Together we cleared a mass of fallen branches with the intent of him making a small circle through the woods to come back around to the road, but then Fate gave me a second slap. Two men in a 4WD truck stopped and offered help. Both were bearded beer gutted baseball cap wearing epitomes of the visual stereotype one usually associates with "good ol' boys" yet both were nice as could be, offering to help push the car backwards so we could get it out of the ditch.
Together the four of us got the car free, though with some minor cosmetic damage. Despite all of that, he was still offering me a ride. I accepted, largely because I felt an obligation at that point, and he not only drove me to the market plaza, he took me door to door to every stop on my list for my job applications for the day and even took me to an interview.
Not once did he come on to me. Not once did he pry into my personal life. Not once did he ask for my phone number.
One man who was visually the epitome of a spoiled rich kid, and two who would best be defined as hillbillies reminded me that you can't judge somebody based on looks or environment.
I woke up this morning ready to doubt everything, I'm going to bed tonight knowing that at heart, people are decent. You've just got to give them a chance.
"¹Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Matthew 7:1-2
One of those things I've got is a five kilometer walk to the nearest place I can apply for jobs. Roughly three kilometers of that is forested and the rest is rural residential areas (AKA trailer parks). Several times while walking that road I've been offered a ride, and I've accepted them.
This has been universally described as stupid and reckless by my roommates. They say that you can't trust the people around here, that I'll end up raped and dead in a ditch. This morning I was ground down enough that I was ready to believe that.
I set out on my daily routine of job hunting adamant that I was going to refuse anybody who offered to give me a lift. I was telling myself that people are bad and that I can't trust them. Fate slapped me when the oddest thing happened.
A man driving the opposite direction I was walking, and in a Camaro no less, offered me a ride. Before I had time to respond he did a U-turn...right into a ditch. This well dressed twenty something in a shiny sportscar got stuck and he felt embarrassed, but he kept a cool and level head, and he was kind and courteous despite that as he tried to rock it free the mud guard got broken off of his front bumper.
Together we cleared a mass of fallen branches with the intent of him making a small circle through the woods to come back around to the road, but then Fate gave me a second slap. Two men in a 4WD truck stopped and offered help. Both were bearded beer gutted baseball cap wearing epitomes of the visual stereotype one usually associates with "good ol' boys" yet both were nice as could be, offering to help push the car backwards so we could get it out of the ditch.
Together the four of us got the car free, though with some minor cosmetic damage. Despite all of that, he was still offering me a ride. I accepted, largely because I felt an obligation at that point, and he not only drove me to the market plaza, he took me door to door to every stop on my list for my job applications for the day and even took me to an interview.
Not once did he come on to me. Not once did he pry into my personal life. Not once did he ask for my phone number.
One man who was visually the epitome of a spoiled rich kid, and two who would best be defined as hillbillies reminded me that you can't judge somebody based on looks or environment.
I woke up this morning ready to doubt everything, I'm going to bed tonight knowing that at heart, people are decent. You've just got to give them a chance.
"¹Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Matthew 7:1-2
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