I got a call from a friend of mine last week and she wanted me to write a column story about all the friends, neighbours, and volunteers who have been helping her out over the last while.
She lost her significant other a while back and has been struggling with all the complications that event brings. She does not want me to mention her name nor do the neighbours and friends want to be identified.
This sounded like a bit of a challenge but I was up for it. Seems in her neighbourhood people just turn up when a problem arises like the night a lightning bolt randomly presented itself and a fire ensued.
Or the time an errant grass fire happened while she was out of town.
“This neighbourhood/community just seems to care about each other and I am very fortunate to be a part of it.
“I just feel I would like to give back and maybe I could thank them through your column,” she said to me.
Let’s give it a try, I said.
“Last month I was biking down the small hill heading to the perimeter trail on the west end of town,” she said.
“Somewhere, somehow, I hit an errant root and ended airborne over the handlebars. Not a good scenario. I had about one second to consider the circumstances and boom, there was the ground.
“I was winded and wondering what had broke. Someone stopped on the road, a good Samaritan, and came to see if I needed some help.
He got me on my feet and wanted to drive me home.
I felt OK and declined his request and proceeded to push my bike home.
“Off to Emerg and, of course, it was after hours.
‘Looks like you have separated your shoulder,’ the Doctor said, ‘but we will bring in the X-ray tech to confirm.’
“Another couple of people that are in the helping business. Sure they are making wages but they still have that caring gene. Everywhere you look in this community volunteers keep our world turning.
The local fire department, soccer coaches, search and rescue, figure skating coaches, and every other activity in between have people that want to help.”
This lady in question wanted to truly impress the fact that her neighbours and friends were outstanding.
“The volunteers that have stepped up over the wildfire season have been phenomenal also and the effort extended by these people cannot be appreciated enough,” she said.
OK, I believe it, I replied, but people are stepping up all over this community and all over other communities. Something that gets forgotten is that the world has mostly good people in it. Unfortunately, we spend too much time focusing on the negative side of life. They get most of the publicity.
“I know what you are saying,” she said. “I love this community too, but I am still very emotional about my neighbours on our road and just want to say thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart.”
There you have it, a truly appreciative person without a name, commending her neighbours and friends who also have no names and this column does the impossible (2) a very small take on the Tom Cruise movie, not quite as exciting though.
Naturally, there will be no pictures.
Thanks to my readers, I do appreciate you also.