Would you like to have your faith in humanity restored? Just come to McDonald County. My faith in humanity was restored there recently.
Last week, on one of those beautiful, sunny days we were blessed to have after some brutal winter days, I was driving in McDonald County and saw some cattle grazing on a hillside. It was a beautiful scene and I quickly pulled over to photograph it. While attempting to turn around in a driveway to get closer to this scene, my car went off the road and teetered over about a 12-foot cliff which I hadn't seen. While my car was teetering, I was able to quickly jump out. It looked as if my car would tumble down the cliff any minute and land upside down. The cows I was going to photograph looked at me as if saying "are you for real?" They turned and walked in unison up the hill away from me -- certainly didn't blame them since I had rudely disrupted their happy grazing!
There I stood surrounded by unfamiliar countryside. I was lost as well. I had my cell phone in my pocket and contemplated calling AAA roadside service. However, that would have been futile since I had no idea exactly where I was. I haven't lived in the area long. So I said a prayer and stood along the roadside feeling stupid. No one was around, just the cows walking up the hill getting as far away from me as they could.
When I was about to call law enforcement in the area, a car approached. There was a lady alone in it. She pulled over and asked if she could help. I explained what had happened. She made a call on her cell phone and assured me that her son would come pull my car out. She didn't know me, yet she pulled over and helped without hesitation.
After she pulled away, I knew that help was coming and I was ever so relieved. Then another car came along with a young couple in it, they too, pulled over and asked if they could help. I told them that help was coming.
Another car came along and stopped, a middle-aged couple, and they asked if they could help and I told them that help was on the way.
Two fellows in a pickup truck then came along and asked if they could help and I told them that help was coming, but they pulled over and said they would wait and help the fellow who was coming to help.
Then a UPS truck came along and pulled over. The UPS driver was on his way to the house at the end of the lane where my car was teetering. The two fellows in the pickup asked the UPS man to ask the residents at the house if they had a towing chain.
The fellow who lives in the house at the end of the lane, then came out to assist, joining the two fellows in the pickup truck.
Soon, the son of the lady who first stopped arrived with a towing chain and they all went to work pulling my car out of its teetering position and back onto the road very quickly.
I began thanking everyone. The two fellows in the pickup nodded and went on down the road, but I was able to detain the fellow who lives in the house at the end of the lane and the fellow whose mother sent him to help me. I explained to them that I am a reporter at the McDonald County Press newspaper and I asked them if I could take their photos. They kindly and generously obliged. I told them I thought I should write a story about this experience and what Good Samaritans I had found in McDonald County.
Not once, did any car pass me by -- every passerby stopped to help. I've lived in a lot of places where that would not have happened!
As I drove on down the road, thankful that I was OK and my car was OK, I reflected how wonderful these people were and I was thankful that people like this exist. I did get the names of the kind lady who first stopped, Mendy Stites; her son, David Stites; and the gentleman, Kirby Lane, who lives at the end of the lane where I had my mishap.
The others, I didn't get their names. I hope they read this article -- I would like to tell them again how grateful I was for their help.
I believe these people, these Good Samaritans, in McDonald County are among the best in humanity.
Community on 01/22/2015