Strangers

So yesterday I went to the church for community service, and I had been awake for 34 hours by the time I was done. On my way home, I decided to go to Kristina's house to see if I could borrow her guitar for a couple weeks, but she wasn't there and when I jumped the fence to get to her apartments by tire deflated. (It doesn't have a hole or anything, I think the pressure was just taken out when the bike hit the ground.)

So 8 hours of work, 34 hours without sleep, and a flat tire which I have to walk home 2 miles. On my walk home, I was just listening to music when I saw a car suddenly get a flat ahead of me. They pulled into a parking lot, and I ran over there because 2 of my things on my list of 100 are to change a tire and help a complete stranger out.

When I got there, I introduced myself and asked him if I could help him change his tire. He lets me and as we change the tire we start talking. I tell him I'm joining the Air Force in a couple of weeks and he tells me that he's a vet and was in the Air Force, Navy, and Army. He fought in the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Desert Storm. We talk for awhile about all of this and he gives me advice on how to go through the military. After the tire was changed I thanked him and told him about my list of 100 things I wanted to do this summer which explained why I was there helping him in the first place. He pulled out a 20 dollar bill, and tried to hand it to me, which I refused and told him all I wanted was to shake his hand. He was adamant and said "Either I throw this on the ground, or you take it for helping an old man remember his life." I relented and shook his hand and asked him if there was anything at all I could do for him. He told me that while I'm in the military, to write him. So he gave me his address and I told him I would try to write him :).


So from a shitty sleep-deprived day to an exchange of stories between two strangers. I can't wait to write this man while I'm in. He inspires me and I hope that someday I could help him in someway.


-David