The Kindness of a Tow Truck Driver

Kindness turned my day around.

I am convinced that kindness is the most under-rated superpower of them all. (Do you remember Mr. Rogers on TV? He knew the power of kindness, and his kindness touched whomever watched him. He is one of my super-heroes.)

A Bit of Background

I have been isolated for a few weeks, not feeling my best. I had a bout of RSV, (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) a respiratory viral infection. I am feeling better, and slowly re-entering life.

I volunteer at our local zoo and thought that going back for at least part of a shift this past Saturday would be a good way to start getting into my regular routine. I reassured myself that I could always come home early if I felt like I couldn’t quite last a whole shift.

The Adventure Begins.

I started driving to the zoo, and while on the freeway, noticed that the windshield wipers were moving much more slowly than usual. That’s odd, I thought. Then the battery indicator light came on. Uh-oh, I thought. That’s not good. Since I was close to the zoo, I thought I would drive there and if needed, I could call AAA.

Getting to the zoo and parking, I thought I would first spend some time on my regular shift, so I spent an hour with our wonderful male elephant. That made me feel better. Fortified, I walked back down the to my car and called AAA (my car now would not start), thinking that even if it took them a bit of time to get there, it was early enough in the day that I wouldn’t risk being at the zoo at closing time and having to figure out what to do with my car.

AAA showed up an hour later. The verdict? My car needed to be towed to my mechanic, Ok, I thought. I can do this. The tow truck will come and we will head to the shop and deal with this.

Waiting in a dead car.

And there I sat. One hour. Two hours. Coming up on three hours.

I was tired, a bit chilled from the rainy weather. And beginning to get a bit upset. Up to that point, I had been calm, grateful that things happened as they did and that I was safe.

But after a while, my patience wore a bit thin. I wanted to get my car to the shop, leave it there, and get home where I could just relax and take care of myself. And breathe in relief.

The kindness begins.

I called AAA again, and this time was a bit more frustrated although being careful not to attack the person on the phone. They were only trying to help, after all. This kind woman kept me on the line until she could get me an update on when I could expect someone.

She finally got back to me and said that I was next on the list, that it might be up to an hour before they got to me. I thanked her for being attentive, persistent, and for being a kind human being on the other end of the line.

I got off the phone, and just sat there for a minute. I think that all of the feelings and frustration from the whole ordeal, plus still not feeling completely recovered and my usual healthy self, finally got to me. I felt some tears come, and now, at this stage of my life, I know that letting the tears simply come and flow is the best thing to do to help relieve some of the feelings and pressure.

Sometimes, when no one else may be around to comfort us, we need to learn to do that for ourselves. To allow whatever feelings to come up, and we can tell ourselves that it’s ok. That we are ok.

My hero arrives!

15 minutes later the tow truck driver called me. He had a kind voice and a gentle manner, and told me that he was about 10 minutes away.

Once he arrived, we talked as he went about the business of getting my car onto the truck. I found out that he was 70, as am I. That he had done all kinds of work before this, that his eldest son was on the local police force, that he was grateful to be alive and still working, that he enjoyed life. He also talked about having been in the hospital for 33 days with COVID when it first began. And he was engaged at 70, which I found delightful. Love and hope do not die because we get older.

We chatted, we laughed. Ready to now head to the mechanic, he told me more stories about his life. At 70, we have many stories that we can tell, to anyone who might want to listen. These stories can be such gems that can teach so much.

We got to the shop, my car was taken off the truck. My tow truck hero waved goodbye and was on his way. A 70-year-old hero has a special quality, I think. He brought the experiences of his life to that moment and that helped to reassure me. All the frustration of earlier that day had dissipated, as the day turned into a lovely day with unexpected gifts.

I continue to marvel at moments like this. At the power of kindness and gentle compassion. The gift of stopping our busy pace to really hear someone and be there with them for a moment in time. Moments of walking beside each other along some of the small bumps in the road. Moments that bestow gifts on both the receiver and the giver.

This is one gift of being an elder, I think. We learn what really makes a difference. And we can put that into action. A valuable lesson and pearl of wisdom that we can pass along, teach, and model. For them and for ourselves.

Kindness comes through again. As elders, we know that more than ever. Just like Mr. Rogers knew it.