It is all good in state where strangers help

Published 1:31 pm Thursday, November 3, 2016

Nov. 1 was errand day; here, there, everywhere. We scooted through the bank drive-through and drug store, too. It was all going smoothly until our SUV seemed to cough and the vehicle stalled. What the heck? Yep, we were out of gas.

I mean the car had done its job. The alerts had sounded. The gas gauge blinked, but we were too busy to take notice. There we were stopped in the middle of an office driveway and blocking traffic. Maybe it was a good thing the street was one of the busiest in the city because help arrived almost immediately.

Yes, it had only been two or three minutes when a friendly lady pulled into the parking lot. She let down her window and asked if she could help? My husband asked if she had a gas can. She said no, but she would get one, then she scurried off. We were overwhelmed.

You see I knew she was nice because she had three cute pups with her. Later we learned their names: Stinky, Ray and Precious and we noticed right off that the little doggies were in the middle of our rescue. Maybe this was not their first humanitarian effort.

And we were correct because when the pups’ mom returned with the gas can, we asked how much we owed her? That’s when our rescue lady, Melinda Vinson Northam, replied, “You owe me nothing. I enjoy helping others. It makes me feel good inside.”

Wow! Again, we were overwhelmed by her kindness. Before she left, I asked again what we could do for her. She finally said, “If you have any time, please help out at L.O.V.E’s Kitchen.” Then she began to tell me about the people who eat there and how desperate they are. She gave us her contact information and I know we made a friend that day.

While we were waiting for the gas can, another lady, who asked to remain anonymous, stopped and inquired what she could do to help us. We explained our situation and that we had a gas can on its way. She hesitated and then asked again if we would be all right. We assured our second rescue person we would be fine and she left.

Melinda drove up with the gas can and took my husband to the nearby convenience store. A few minutes later, they returned with enough fuel to get us back to CEFCO and fill the tank. As we waved goodbye to Melinda and the pups, our second rescue lady returned. She said, “The Lord told me to come back and help y’all.”

Before I conclude my story, let me remind you, dear readers, this is Mississippi. Yes, the Magnolia State where kind hearts are contagious and where strangers come to help, no matter the circumstances. The kindnesses of strangers have continued in our state while the world, it has seemed, descended into a dog-eat-dog society.

Yes, we are-what-we-are-in-Mississippi and it is all good.

As we stared in disbelief at our second rescue lady, she explained that she wanted to take us to the convenience store and fill our tank, that she had talked to her husband and they were in agreement this should be done.

Again, we were at a loss for words (and if you know the two of us, well, that never happens), but there we were, the benefactors of two strangers, who just could not do enough for us. I explained that we had our debit cards and filling the tank was something we planned to do immediately. I must tell you she was disappointed. She WANTED to fill our tank.

So we asked her to follow us to CEFCO. When we arrived, she hopped out of her car and slid her debit card through the gas machine. Finally, she agreed to stop the meter at $20. We again exchanged contact information with this kind lady and it was time to go on our way.

I am not sure why God brought these two compassionate souls into our pathway last Tuesday, but I am very grateful. What I do know – Hubs and I have two new kind-hearted Mississippi friends. Yes, it is all good.

Anne McKee is a Mississippi historian, writer and storyteller. She is listed on the Mississippi Humanities Speakers Bureau. See her website: www.annmckeestoryteller.com