Flag ’em down!!
Kylie was graduating from university in June of 2015 in Edmonton and Sharon and I are on our way to be a part of commencement. Just around Entwhistle, on the Yellowhead highway, we got a flat. Stranded beside the road because a careless tech had actually put a single different sized nut on the wheel we needed to take off. No amount of jury rigging the smaller nut worked. We needed a tool set with a different sized socket to take care of the problem. But no one was stopping! There was lots of traffic, but no one stopped. Eventually a tow truck stopped to check in.
It would have been quality alone time with my wife had there been no issue with our car, and a desire to get to Edmonton in time for a visit and be part of the big ceremony. I don’t even blame the drivers…I know we all have these taskmaster schedules, even if they are only ours and in our own head. We were even on a schedule. But our schedule didn’t seem to match anyone else’s that evening.
These days, in recovery from this stroke, and solving little problems along the way by myself, I still find myself stuck dealing with the proverbial wrong sized nut that I need help with. We don’t need to talk about my “nuts” here, but what I would love to say is, thank you for those of you who have pulled over and asked if I/we have needed help. It means the world to us…to me.
I’ve never done this before. I don’t even know what all I am up against. The longer I’m here “repairing this flat”, the more things come up. There are sure to be other things that will come up. Knowing what to flag somebody down for is going to be hard. I/we are at a stage where we don’t know what all our needs are, even though we know we need help. There have been many who have pulled over and asked what you could do, and for that we are grateful.
It’s a humbling experience having things happen that you need help with. I’ve never watched so much traffic go by in all my life. I guess what I’m trying to say is that we still aren’t off the side of the road, so it wouldn’t hurt to ask. It kinda hurts the pride and the heart to admit that there is help needed, but I may have to get used to going beyond hoping someone stops to check and just outright ask.
I hope you’re alright with that.