| SPONGEOSOPHY ESSAY REAL HEROES Ordinary People Can Do Extraordinary Things |
We all have heroes. Whether they are a sports figure, someone from history, or one
of our parents, they are the people we look to as role models. Perhaps our heroes
did something which earned our admiration. I get fan mail often and have been called
a hero by many. What I saw this morning made me realize that the real heroes are
out there, just ordinary people. These ordinary people, when the chips are down,
can do extraordinary things.
Today I was giving Jamie, my secretary, a ride to her regular 9 to 5 job and we were
discussing the business of the day; going over my schedule and so forth. I had just
commented to her about all of the crazy traffic when we saw a guy whip his car from
the middle lane to the shoulder at full speed. At first I thought that the driver had a
blow out and was pulling over to change it. Then I saw that he wasn’t slowing down. I
watched in horror as his car hit the rock embankment and flipped.
Strange things run through your mind at a time like this, and the whole thing seems
kind of surreal, but I will tell this as best as I can, as objectively as I can. Before I
could stop my truck and pull off the road, Jamie was on the phone calling 911,
reporting the accident as quickly as it happened. Then I noticed the big tractor-trailer
in front of me whose tires were smoking because the driver had hit his brakes so
hard. As I turned on my flashers, got out and ran towards the now smoking
overturned vehicle, I noticed the trucker and two others running towards the car with
me.
The trucker, his big black arms trying to muscle open a door that wouldn’t budge, hurt
his hand as he tried to break the glass with his fist. Then there was Mr. “Nerves of
Steel” running around to the other side of the car and directing the rest of us as we
tried to get the guy out. We didn’t know if the car was going to catch fire or explode.
They just saw this guy trapped and knew he had to be pulled out. Then came Mr.
“Good-Wrench” who used a socket driver to break the glass. We looked in and saw
the guy, unconscious at the moment, hanging upside down from his seat belt.
“Steel”, “Trucker” and “Good-wrench” cut the seat belt so that the victim could get
out. As we pulled the dazed man out through the shattered window, a nurse was
running towards us. Within moments we had him out and standing as she assessed
his condition. He would be okay it appeared. Now we just waited a few moments for
the police and EMS. All would be okay, other than the delay in getting Jamie to work
on time and the rest of us where we needed to be.
What is it that makes people like them risk their own necks for others? What is that
special something that makes one willing to reach into a smoking wreck to save a
stranger? As I watched the rubber-neckers inch by us on the interstate hoping to
catch a glimpse of a dead body, I took a long hard look at these new heroes and
wondered what in them made them decide to put their own lives on hold and at risk
for someone they didn’t even know. Is it because we hope that someday someone
would do the same for us? Or is it because it is the right thing to do?
As the Trooper took our licenses to get our information, I looked at the cars inching
by and had a horrible thought. That could easily have been me in that wreck. With
the 40 or so cars that were right there when it happened, 36 just drove on by, in too
much of a hurry to do their thing rather than help a stranger. Getting to work on time
to make those few extra dollars is more important than someone’s life, so it seems.
All too indicative of what we have become as a society. It appears that most people
believe that if an event does not effect them, they do not want to get involved. More
than that, most do not with their own lives disrupted in any way. More proof of this is
evidenced by the fact that Jamie’s boss was rather harsh with her for being fifteen
minutes late for work.
I can’t tell you how amazing it is to think of my new heroes. Their thoughts were not,
“The car might blow, get back,” but rather, “The car might blow, GET HIM OUT!”
These people have given me back the faith in humanity. While I look at the rubber-
neckers with a bit more cynicism, these four souls have reminded me the wonderful
creation that is the human race.
All yours truly did was help pull the guy out of the vehicle, the others in this story were
the real heroes. “Trucker” really amazed me, for once he saw the victim was okay, he
quietly got back in his rig and went back to his day. It cost him some precious
moments from his life, but I am sure all he thought about was that the victim was going
to be okay. He wanted no thanks, kudos, or platitudes. He just wanted to make a
difference. That, my readers, is a real hero; not the guy all juiced up to break home
run records; not the person selling millions of CDs laden with swear words, and
certainly not the guy sitting here typing this story.
My new heroes are going about their own day now, as are we all. I want to thank
“Nurse”, “Good-Wrench”, “Steel”, and Jamie for being there. Thanks to people like
you I will feel a bit safer on the road knowing that someone is willing to risk it all for a
stranger. Most of all, my thanks goes to “Trucker.” He is probably in another state
right now heading to his next stop. The people on the road wherever he is should
feel safer knowing that he will be there for them and once again get back in his rig
and go quietly on his way. Thanks “Trucker,” I’m glad to know that somewhere out
there, total strangers have a guardian angel on the highway.
Be well,
Sponge
03/31/2006
of our parents, they are the people we look to as role models. Perhaps our heroes
did something which earned our admiration. I get fan mail often and have been called
a hero by many. What I saw this morning made me realize that the real heroes are
out there, just ordinary people. These ordinary people, when the chips are down,
can do extraordinary things.
Today I was giving Jamie, my secretary, a ride to her regular 9 to 5 job and we were
discussing the business of the day; going over my schedule and so forth. I had just
commented to her about all of the crazy traffic when we saw a guy whip his car from
the middle lane to the shoulder at full speed. At first I thought that the driver had a
blow out and was pulling over to change it. Then I saw that he wasn’t slowing down. I
watched in horror as his car hit the rock embankment and flipped.
Strange things run through your mind at a time like this, and the whole thing seems
kind of surreal, but I will tell this as best as I can, as objectively as I can. Before I
could stop my truck and pull off the road, Jamie was on the phone calling 911,
reporting the accident as quickly as it happened. Then I noticed the big tractor-trailer
in front of me whose tires were smoking because the driver had hit his brakes so
hard. As I turned on my flashers, got out and ran towards the now smoking
overturned vehicle, I noticed the trucker and two others running towards the car with
me.
The trucker, his big black arms trying to muscle open a door that wouldn’t budge, hurt
his hand as he tried to break the glass with his fist. Then there was Mr. “Nerves of
Steel” running around to the other side of the car and directing the rest of us as we
tried to get the guy out. We didn’t know if the car was going to catch fire or explode.
They just saw this guy trapped and knew he had to be pulled out. Then came Mr.
“Good-Wrench” who used a socket driver to break the glass. We looked in and saw
the guy, unconscious at the moment, hanging upside down from his seat belt.
“Steel”, “Trucker” and “Good-wrench” cut the seat belt so that the victim could get
out. As we pulled the dazed man out through the shattered window, a nurse was
running towards us. Within moments we had him out and standing as she assessed
his condition. He would be okay it appeared. Now we just waited a few moments for
the police and EMS. All would be okay, other than the delay in getting Jamie to work
on time and the rest of us where we needed to be.
What is it that makes people like them risk their own necks for others? What is that
special something that makes one willing to reach into a smoking wreck to save a
stranger? As I watched the rubber-neckers inch by us on the interstate hoping to
catch a glimpse of a dead body, I took a long hard look at these new heroes and
wondered what in them made them decide to put their own lives on hold and at risk
for someone they didn’t even know. Is it because we hope that someday someone
would do the same for us? Or is it because it is the right thing to do?
As the Trooper took our licenses to get our information, I looked at the cars inching
by and had a horrible thought. That could easily have been me in that wreck. With
the 40 or so cars that were right there when it happened, 36 just drove on by, in too
much of a hurry to do their thing rather than help a stranger. Getting to work on time
to make those few extra dollars is more important than someone’s life, so it seems.
All too indicative of what we have become as a society. It appears that most people
believe that if an event does not effect them, they do not want to get involved. More
than that, most do not with their own lives disrupted in any way. More proof of this is
evidenced by the fact that Jamie’s boss was rather harsh with her for being fifteen
minutes late for work.
I can’t tell you how amazing it is to think of my new heroes. Their thoughts were not,
“The car might blow, get back,” but rather, “The car might blow, GET HIM OUT!”
These people have given me back the faith in humanity. While I look at the rubber-
neckers with a bit more cynicism, these four souls have reminded me the wonderful
creation that is the human race.
All yours truly did was help pull the guy out of the vehicle, the others in this story were
the real heroes. “Trucker” really amazed me, for once he saw the victim was okay, he
quietly got back in his rig and went back to his day. It cost him some precious
moments from his life, but I am sure all he thought about was that the victim was going
to be okay. He wanted no thanks, kudos, or platitudes. He just wanted to make a
difference. That, my readers, is a real hero; not the guy all juiced up to break home
run records; not the person selling millions of CDs laden with swear words, and
certainly not the guy sitting here typing this story.
My new heroes are going about their own day now, as are we all. I want to thank
“Nurse”, “Good-Wrench”, “Steel”, and Jamie for being there. Thanks to people like
you I will feel a bit safer on the road knowing that someone is willing to risk it all for a
stranger. Most of all, my thanks goes to “Trucker.” He is probably in another state
right now heading to his next stop. The people on the road wherever he is should
feel safer knowing that he will be there for them and once again get back in his rig
and go quietly on his way. Thanks “Trucker,” I’m glad to know that somewhere out
there, total strangers have a guardian angel on the highway.
Be well,
Sponge
03/31/2006
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |