Repaying the Favor...What would my Dad do?

Growing up I was always impressed by my Dad. My Dad has always been the type of person to help people in need. I remember a time we were at Shopko and a man we didn't know had a heart attack and collapsed. My Dad was the first into action to help the man. My Dad has helped stranded, stuck, and crashed motorists. Everyone watches while my Dad acts. He has always been that way and whenever in a situation that requires quick action and decisions I always ask myself, "what would my Dad do?"

This summer I needed help when I had a bunch of flat tires on a bike ride. I posted in August about being picked up by a random person when I could not ride my bike home. The flats were unfortunate but the person that picked me up went above and beyond and showed me kindness in my time of need. Since that time I had been looking to repay the favor. Today I had the opportunity. I was just going over the top of McDonald pass and as I went over a saw a vehicle in the park entrance that was stuck. I saw the 2 right side wheels turning but no movement from the vehicle.

For the next few seconds I watched the vehicle in my mirror...WHAT WOULD MY DAD DO?...This was my chance!!! I flipped a U-turn across the four lanes of traffic and headed back to the park entrance. I plowed through a snow bank in my trusty Ford Ranger (love that truck). A man probably 5 years older than I seemed relieved to see me. I asked if he was stuck, he said he was. I asked him if he had a shovel or tow straps, he had neither. I thought, "well we will have to do this old fashioned way." I told him to put his jeep in 4-low and I would push, didn't work, the jeep was stuck for sure. I told him we had to dig a path to where the plowing started. I used my window scraper and he used a black leather object from his vehicle.

We dug, dug, and dug. Finally we had a clear path to where the plow started. I told him to "straighten up and I will push." We got the Jeep rocking back and forth and finally with all my effort the Jeep started moving and made it to the plowed section. The man thanked me and asked if I smoked. I told him I didn't and he said that smoking is what got him into this mess (good lesson: don't smoke or your car will get stuck in a snow bank).

I quickly shook his mittened hand and plowed back onto the highway. So many times we are faced with an opportunity to help people but for whatever reason we second guess ourselves. Maybe we are scared to be made a fool of, short on time or whatev I don't know. I faced the choice to drive on down the pass, forgetting about the man, or turn around and see if he was okay.

I did the right thing, he wouldn't have gotten back onto the road without help. More importantly, I acted. We all know what's the right thing to do, but we often over analyze and reason our way out of doing those "right" things. I came back to see if he needed help, I acted, I did the "right" thing, and finally repaid the favor that had been paid to me back in August by my mid-ride rescue. We'll call it even. :)