[Extra]Ordinary People

On October 26th, 2015, at 7pm I had speech scheduled for group in Mount Vernon, Ohio. At 6pm on N. Gay Street while in process of finding parking place, I was cut off and sideswiped by a young female driver. As I exchanged insurance cards with emotional girl, I’d learned she had just received her drivers license.

When officer Aaron Collins asked us about the accident, she was about to admit she was at fault in shaking voice, through tears; when I spoke up and falsely had claimed accident was my fault, having missed stop sign and side swiped her! Over the officer’s shoulder I watched the confused, relieved, thankful expression or the girl’s face. As officer was writing me a ticket, the girl had at one point tried to counter my confession and again winking at her, cut her words off, speaking to policeman.

When officer Collins had left the scene, leaving myself and girl standing there, she had suddenly hugged me and with tears thanked me for saving her from being charged with the accident. There was little damage to either of our vehicles. I was later honest with my insurance company about the accident and said I was willing to pay if they chose not to cover it. They did pay the small claim. I would later mail the 125 dollar fine money to Mount Vernon.

When I arrived at my speech location ten minutes late, I explained my being tardy by informing my audience of the vehicular episode. I then continued on with my scheduled presentation. As I packed up my speech materials, I was moved by the fact the audience had given twice as much money as they ever had before! I had just gotten into my truck to leave, when a distinguished appearing older man walked up to the truck’s open window, and said: “Jim, even though I’m a letter of the law political conservative, your story of doing the right wrong thing for that young driver… imagining my own young granddaughter who’d just received her license; it opened my eyes to the between the lines truth of things! So here Jim, (handing me a stack of $20s paper clipped together) this will cover the cost of your fine act of self sacrificing kindness!” And walked off.