Early this morning on my way to work, just at the end of our road meeting the highway, my eyes caught the site of a man in battle dress uniform standing in front of his truck – waving his arms in the air at the oncoming traffic. I asked the man if everything was alright, and he said he was trying…I couldn’t make out what he said. It was still dark out; the early traffic was driving fast, half asleep people still waking up to coffee and their morning talk show. I looked right and didn’t see anything and looked left and down the road there were a couple of cars that looked like they were pulled to the side. I must have assessed in my mind that there was a car pulled off the side, and I know that side doesn’t have the room for a full car width, so this man was helping slow traffic down so that a person, may be changing a tire, could be a little safer. I pulled out and as I drove down the highway, I flashed my brights at the oncoming traffic to alert them that something was ahead.
As I drove to work I began thinking that I should have done more to help. I could have handed the man a flash light, or I could have pulled over and helped by flashing lights at oncoming traffic. I realized that that man was also on his way to work. His work, what he does, contributes to our very safety. He didn’t have to pull over to try and help. He was still 40 minutes from base, and I knew that he wasn’t going to be getting to his work on time, that he chose to make time for someone in need. Ft. Leonard Wood is a training base in our area. It is so close to us that it just blends into our society. I don’t think enough of the work they do, of the service to our country, that those men and women chose to be in service and that they chose to help, to protect.
That’s what that man was doing. He was protecting, he was serving. Even in what seems like a small gesture – to slow traffic down. He could have saved someone’s life this morning. I felt some shame on my part, my selfish drive to work. I felt some pride in our military this morning. This man cared enough so shout at the car that wouldn’t slow down, and to give when no one would have known if he had not. It was dark, out on this country road, not for any glory or any battle, this man served.
Thank you so much…to that man in uniform. If there is a next time, I sure hope that I give my time to help.
I found out later in the morning that a horse had been hit by a car and was lying in the road. I sure hope the people in the car were all OK.
Brian Seibert, 12-17-13.
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