A Broken Down Car

One late afternoon, I was sitting in a restaurant having an early dinner with my wife. We were dining on the patio area with big thick glass walls dividing us from the plaza which stretched quite a distance to the street. The time of day was busy as people were heading home from work in a particularly busy area of Los Angeles.

But than every day, all day, Los Angeles is quite busy with traffic.

As cars filled the lanes to go straight or turn left, each was trying to simply get home from a long day at work no doubt. A parent here trying to get to the daycare for a child, another with one last stop before home and others just winding down their day. Then as circumstance always seems to happen, a car broke down in the turn lane. A ruin to the driver's day and quickly becoming the same to drivers behind this man.

With so much traffic on the street, cars were quickly piling up behind wanting to turn left. The broken down car was several car lengths from the light, so as those in front would clear, those behind would vent frustration by honking their horn. Some would find a clear opportunity and move out into oncoming lanes to get around. Others would try to squeeze back to the right to get around.

With all of the frustration, no one was making a decision to help this man.

You could hear the shouts of some and the horns of others. There were erratic driving scenes of those wanting to get around the momentary source of their problems. This one man was the object of everything wrong for these people.

Without all hope being tossed out the window, we did see a few people stop to offer help. One young lady went so far as to put herself in a bit of a dangerous position with the amount and speed of oncoming traffic. Yet from what we could tell at a distance is that the man waved off help.

We could only surmise that he had apparently called for a tow truck. Waiting and waiting was going to be his penance for having car trouble, at rush hour and inconveniencing so many other people.

The horns, the gestures and the wait were his to endure.

A tow truck did arrive within the hour and pulled him to safety, freeing up traffic to go about its busy day. And what became of the man we will never know. But it likely ended as you might expect; a tow bill, a car repair bill, late getting home, tired and exhausted.

What of those other people that mocked and ridiculed him with the gestures and honks of displeasure? Did their day really improve by taking it out on this one lone driver? Was this broken down vehicle a planned event to be the reason for a bad day? Did these people actually end up feeling better?

Unlikely, for the broken down vehicle was only a distraction.

What of the few people that did offer to stop and help? I'm betting that their day actually improved. I am betting that it eased some of the burden in their day. Even those that didn't stop but were mindful and empathetic to the situation; they likely had an easing of their day.

The idea of helping others, in any shape or form is ingrained in our human nature. Some of us repress it as a horrible thing to have. Yet others embrace it and understand the power of helping others. Another person's misfortune is not our gain, but an opportunity to lift yourself while lifting another person.

It makes you a better person, reflecting the better you are and others notice.

Would you or I ever want to one day meet one of the irate people that flashed a demeaning gesture? Or would I rather meet the person that stopped to offer help to another person in need?

Think about how you would react in your busy day. Not only stuck in traffic, but in the grocery line, at the bank or even with your children brushing their teeth before bed. Patience, understanding and kindness will take us much further towards a successful life then the alternative. Our lives will be better for it.

Stay inspired my friend.