Do Unto Others...Please.

On Saturday, I went for a ride up to Millerton Store (with a little Woogie thrown in for good measure) by myself. On the way back down from Millerton Store, I saw a female cyclist I didn't know on the side of the road, and it was obvious she was feeling sick. I stopped to ask if she needed help, and she was indeed feeling really nauseous. After talking to her, I figured she was dehydrated, hadn't fueled enough, the heat was getting to her, or a combination of one or more of those. We tried to call someone to pick her up, but she couldn't get a hold of anyone right away. I rode back up to Millerton Store to get her some water and Gatorade, and then came back down and helped her get further down the road where she could rest in shade. She finally got a hold of her mom - who was in town visiting - and I waited with her until her mom got there. She was very gracious and thankful that I helped....but wouldn't most people? A lot of cyclists asked if we were ok as they passed, so I'm sure someone else would have helped, too.

But sometimes I wonder....this week at the Huggins Early Education Center where I am the new Interim Director, one of the teachers I now work with came to my office just to thank me for stopping by her room and offering to get her something when she looked like she needed something. She said that in all her years of teaching, no director had ever done that before. She looked like she needed something -- she was looking around while clearly needing to stay at the art table with the children -- so wouldn't someone else just standing there like me have done the same thing?...I hope so.

Today, I locked my keys in my car when I met Allegra for a bike ride. When we got back and I realized it, her husband drove me to my house to try to find an extra key -- which I couldn't find -- and brought me back to my car while I called AAA. I told him not to wait with me, as he had 12-year-old Jack in the car, and I felt bad they were waiting, so he left. And before I knew it, Allegra showed up to let me sit in the air-conditioned car while waiting. It took over an hour, so that was quite nice. Really, there are people who "Do Unto Others," and who pay it forward.

It's really such a little thing.