The night was cold and dark, the interstate busy when our tire blew out.
Because we three women had been chatting so much, we didn’t even hear it blow. Instead, it was a loud rumbling noise that caught our attention.
We had been on a day-long road trip to a distant Christmas Fair and were now caught in the throes of evening rush hour traffic. Tired and hungry, all we wanted to do was get home.
And yet, the rumbling noise clearly indicated we needed to pull over. Sure enough, the tire, in Scrooge terminology, was as flat as a door nail.
Stranded in the dark with cars whizzing by at 80 mph, we made the executive decision to keep going. It was too dangerous to sit and wait for help. Driving on the shoulder with flashers on, we headed to an exit a mile away, the car dealership on the corner, a beacon of hope.
Shaken and distraught, we were relieved when the car salesman didn’t turn us away, but instead, offered to fix the tire in the warmth of their service stall. Two managers and a young technician came out to help. They gasped when they saw the tire. Apparently, a sharp object had not only blown the tire but ripped open the inner edge as well. It was a miracle, they all said, that we had not lost control of the car on that busy interstate. With reassuring efficiency, the young technician put on the spare. None of the four would take a dime for their efforts.
The kindness of strangers on a dark and dangerous night. A heartfelt reminder that light continues to outshine the darkness in the most unexpected ways.
I’m Marnie O. Mamminga and that’s my perspective
