Faith

I'm sure by now you've looked at the pictures here about restoring faith in humanity. Sometimes it's hard to believe there is any good in the world with all of the terrible and shallow things we see on the tv everyday (cough KARDASHIANS cough). I thought I would share with you a time where my faith in humanity was restored.

How many times have you seen someone on the side of the road, broken down, and you drive right past? Or someone with their car in a ditch after a snow storm and you think "that sucks" and keep on driving?

A few years ago, we had an enormous amount of snow over the winter. Layers upon layers of snow turned to piles of ice on the sides of the road after melting and refreezing. I was on my way to work during rush hour traffic on a busy street. I saw the light ahead of me turn red, and I started stopping about 100 yards back, as the road was icy that early in the morning. But I didn't stop. My car kept sliding. Right towards the busy intersection near the interstate on-ramp. Where cars were zipping by at an alarming speed. I kept on sliding, closer and closer, and then I realized, I wasn't going to be able to stop in time. As I entered the intersection, still sliding, I had two choices. Be hit by four lanes of oncoming traffic, or floor it. I chose to floor it.

That decision left me in a pile of ice and snow on the opposite side of the street. After I had finished screaming, I tried to move my car. It didn't budge an inch, the tires slipping on the ice beneath them. I tried to open my door. It wouldn't open. I was stuck. The tears started flowing down my cheeks as the panic set in. What was I going to do?

Then, in my rearview mirror, I saw a man jogging across the street towards me with a shovel. When he got to my car he yelled, "Don't you cry, miss. I will get you out!" My heart caught in my throat. He began to dig, and dig, and dig. He barely made a dent in 15 minutes. He couldn't do it alone. He was sweating profusely despite the frigid temperatures. He pulled out his cell phone and I heard the muffled sounds of him speaking into it. He finished his call, and resumed digging.

Five minutes later a giant truck with a snow plow on the front showed up. Two men scrambled out with shovels while another stayed inside. Between the three men shoveling and the man with the snow plow, it took them another half hour to get me out. I was finally free, with my car a little worse for wear. The ice had punctured holes in my front bumper, the men told me. I was too terrified to get out of the car. I yelled my thanks out of my open window. They nodded and climbed into the truck, and were gone as suddenly as they had appeared.

I never even knew their names.

Have you ever had an experience that restored your faith in humanity? I want to hear it!