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4.6.09

The world today's in disarray.

So after work today, I went straight to church because it was Jon's dress rehearsal for the wedding on Saturday. I took Lougheed highway, and in between Lake City Way and Sperling, I noticed a woman on the road shoulder hobbling along. I drove past and looked in my mirror, only to see that she was moving so slowly because she was on crutches. Let me paint you a picture - it was probably still in the high 20s, and the stretch of road until she reached the houses (where I presume she was going) was still a good 400m or so. This woman was DYING.

So my first thought was, "Chris, stop the car and go ask her if she wants a ride home." There was no one behind me on the highway, which was a blessing. But then my second, more sobering thought, stopped me in my proverbial tracks: "Chris, if you stop and ask her if she wants a ride, she'll probably think you're a creep and say no." I concluded that I didn't look like that much of a creep, but the woman would most likely say no anyways, so I kept driving. Mind you, this internal conflict took all of ten seconds before she was lost in my rearview mirror.

As I continued on my way to church however, my mind was mulling the situation that had just passed, and all possible things that could have happened. I have little doubt that had I pulled over, this woman would have a) thought I was weird and refused my ride, or b) refused my ride. However, it didn't take much to see that this woman was literally inching her way along to wherever she was trying to get to.

I think it's sad that even in such a circumstance, we find it so hard to trust strangers. It's not the same world as yesteryear anymore, when we could pick up a hitchhiker in Alberta and have a new bestman by Saskatchewan (mind you, that's what I've heard used to happen, as I wasn't alive in yesteryear.) Maybe I'm just pessimistic in assuming this woman would refuse my offer; for all I know, she would've accepted in a heartbeat, gotten into my car, and we would've chatted it up mightily and upon arriving home she would've added me on Facebook, where we would exchange personal info and later become man and wife.

Or maybe she would've thought I was weird and said no. Either way, I didn't ask.

My life would've been better today.

3 comments:

  1. AHAHAHAHAHA. im sorry, i know this is sensitive... but "would have become man and wife" made my night.

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