There are times when you wonder about the people around you;
The other day I was driving home from work and I see a woman in an older model car broken down on a main road during the height of traffic. I was quite vexed at the situation. I wanted to stop and help but I had started work early that morning and did not get to spend a lot of time with my family, in particular my daughter whose bed time was quickly closing in. As I waited for the light to change, I considering whether to pull into the parking lot a head of me, walk back and help this person get their car off the road, or do I just tell myself; "I do not have time", and hope that someone else will come along and help out. The sad part was that I actually struggled with this, and if the light hadn't of taken forever I probably would have kept on going. I then had a vision of my wife being stranded somewhere and I would hope that someone would have enough decency to stop and help her out.
So needless to say I pulled into the parking lot, parked my truck and headed towards the broken down car. I get to the passenger side window and look in. She is talking on her cell phone and has either failed to notice my presence or chosen to ignore me. I proceed to knock on her window getting ready to ask if she would like me to help push her car into the parking lot. She fails to acknowledge me and I am getting a little miffed. So I knock on her window again and I follow this with "HELLO!" She takes the time to move the phone to her other ear and give me the irritated wait your turn look with a bonus Index Finger point. I stood there for a couple of seconds in shock. This phone conversation was so important that she could not ask the person to whom she was talking with to hold on for a second, or maybe even call them back so that she could assist me in getting her jalopy off the road. That she could stop inconveniencing the by now over 100 people including myself. I took time out of my day to try and help this obviously self involved individual. All I managed to accomplish was to receive a finger wagging from a real winner and many confused looks from passerby's as I walked back to my own vehicle.
I often ponder whether I am doing enough? I am pretty sure most of us ask ourselves these similar questions; Do I spend enough time with my kids? Do I do my fair share around the house? Do I contribute enough to society? And if you don't at some point ask yourself similar questions, then you are either a selfless saint and I raise my glass to you, or you are a real winner.
I never stop trying to be a great dad, a terrific husband and a caring neighbor. I hope that things work out for my kids and that when they become teenagers they don't hate me as much as people say they will, just because they are teenagers. That my wife will always love me despite my video game addiction and my hearing deficiency that inexplicably comes and goes. I never plan on the hearing loss it just seems to happen, sometimes for the better. But I find it harder and harder having faith in my fellow man these days. I truly believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt. Tho lately they have been proving me wrong more often than not. I just hope I don't completely lose my sense of fellowship and become one of those people who just keeps going on about their life ignoring everything and everyone around them. I pity anyone who has crossed that threshold.
I know I do enough for my family. Well I am pretty sure I do enough. The only way I can gauge whether I am doing a good job being a good person is by using my barometer. The barometer that i use to guide all my important decisions in life. Choices that are not always easy, where there is no clear cut right or wrong just a path to choose. That barometer is my family. And by the looks of it, the future is sunny and clear with just a the odd chance of hearing loss.
The other day I was driving home from work and I see a woman in an older model car broken down on a main road during the height of traffic. I was quite vexed at the situation. I wanted to stop and help but I had started work early that morning and did not get to spend a lot of time with my family, in particular my daughter whose bed time was quickly closing in. As I waited for the light to change, I considering whether to pull into the parking lot a head of me, walk back and help this person get their car off the road, or do I just tell myself; "I do not have time", and hope that someone else will come along and help out. The sad part was that I actually struggled with this, and if the light hadn't of taken forever I probably would have kept on going. I then had a vision of my wife being stranded somewhere and I would hope that someone would have enough decency to stop and help her out.
So needless to say I pulled into the parking lot, parked my truck and headed towards the broken down car. I get to the passenger side window and look in. She is talking on her cell phone and has either failed to notice my presence or chosen to ignore me. I proceed to knock on her window getting ready to ask if she would like me to help push her car into the parking lot. She fails to acknowledge me and I am getting a little miffed. So I knock on her window again and I follow this with "HELLO!" She takes the time to move the phone to her other ear and give me the irritated wait your turn look with a bonus Index Finger point. I stood there for a couple of seconds in shock. This phone conversation was so important that she could not ask the person to whom she was talking with to hold on for a second, or maybe even call them back so that she could assist me in getting her jalopy off the road. That she could stop inconveniencing the by now over 100 people including myself. I took time out of my day to try and help this obviously self involved individual. All I managed to accomplish was to receive a finger wagging from a real winner and many confused looks from passerby's as I walked back to my own vehicle.
I often ponder whether I am doing enough? I am pretty sure most of us ask ourselves these similar questions; Do I spend enough time with my kids? Do I do my fair share around the house? Do I contribute enough to society? And if you don't at some point ask yourself similar questions, then you are either a selfless saint and I raise my glass to you, or you are a real winner.
I never stop trying to be a great dad, a terrific husband and a caring neighbor. I hope that things work out for my kids and that when they become teenagers they don't hate me as much as people say they will, just because they are teenagers. That my wife will always love me despite my video game addiction and my hearing deficiency that inexplicably comes and goes. I never plan on the hearing loss it just seems to happen, sometimes for the better. But I find it harder and harder having faith in my fellow man these days. I truly believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt. Tho lately they have been proving me wrong more often than not. I just hope I don't completely lose my sense of fellowship and become one of those people who just keeps going on about their life ignoring everything and everyone around them. I pity anyone who has crossed that threshold.
I know I do enough for my family. Well I am pretty sure I do enough. The only way I can gauge whether I am doing a good job being a good person is by using my barometer. The barometer that i use to guide all my important decisions in life. Choices that are not always easy, where there is no clear cut right or wrong just a path to choose. That barometer is my family. And by the looks of it, the future is sunny and clear with just a the odd chance of hearing loss.
