Not Much

So the other night, driving back home from poodle school on I-40, I passed a disabled vehicle with a flat tire. An elderly man clearly struggled to unpack the back of the vehicle to get to the spare. As I zipped by, various thoughts crossed my mind. It was getting dark, and I wanted to be home. It was cold. I had a poodle in my car who doesn’t always deal well with new situations.

So as I took the exit to turn around, I hoped that (as it happens occasionally) someone else would have stopped to help by the time I got back to him. As I pulled in behind him, he still struggled to get the jack free of the car. I introduced myself, asked if he needed help, and proceeded to help unload his car to get to the spare tire.

I learned he was on his way home after singing at a revival in Ohio, and on the way to visit his daughter in Raleigh. As I’m jacking up his car he asks, “Are you a Christian man Rick?” Now, not the best of questions to be asked at the best of times. Asking about religion, politicians, gay rights, etc., are not exactly easy topics between strangers in the South. Certainly not the brightest one to ask of someone helping to fix your car, in the dark. At least wait until after the car is fixed.

I paused, mulling over my answer, and replied, “Not so much.” Not the answer he expected. As he pondered my response, I followed up with, “but I don’t need to be to want to help people.”

He mulled that over for a good long while. Then he said, “Well, I guess any number of Christians have just passed me by.”

Not much I can add to that.

Got him fixed up and sent him on his way.