thursday...

i had a meeting at the airport...as usual i parked in the garage closest to the terminal...in an open area...my meeting was only supposed to last at the most an hour but it ended up taking much longer..

when the meeting was over...i went to my car...it had started to sprinkle but it seemed like i made it to my car just before it really started raining..
as i was walking to my car..i could see a woman a few cars away...she had a child in a stroller...the child looked to be about two years old..
this woman had the stroller completely full of things along with her child..
there was a guitar in a hard shell case...turned upside down and placed in the the space between the handle and the body of the stroller...
the woman also had two huge suitcases...she was unloading all of this from an suv..
i assumed with all that baggage she wasn't alone..
i started my car...turned on the airconditioning...and attempted to call my office to tell them i was on my way back..
i looked out the window...and i saw this woman was alone...she was trying to figure out how to get everything into the terminal by herself...she was obviously struggling....
i opened my window..i asked her if she needed help...she said she did
i told her i needed a minute but i would help her..
after i said this...i could see ..it was starting to really rain ...so turned off my phone...got out of the car and locked my door...
it was after i closed the door to the car..i realized i had left my car keys in the ingnition...
i had locked myself out of the car...

it was already too late to do anything about it...still this woman and her child were out in the rain...so i said i'd deal with it later...
i grabbed her suitcases and we started walking to the terminal...
she thanked me and said she didn't know how she was going to make it to the terminal...she said she was moving home..
i said ..you're moving home?
and you drove here?
what?...are you just leaving your car at the airport?
she said it was her friends car...her friend traveled a lot..and she was coming in this evening and would drive the car home...
we walked...a little further..
and she said..
i'm running from an abusive relationship...what i have here is all i have in the world...but i'm heading home...so i'll be alright..
i said...i know you will be...
let's get you to the ticket counter...
and you'll be on your way...
i walked her to the ticket counter...a ticket agent walked up to her and started to help her...
i turned to leave...i told her again i knew she'd be fine..
she said thank you..
and i walked back to my car..

i was able to get someone to unlock my car...as we stood in the rain...
it didn't take too long...
and i didn't get too wet...

i headed to the office...i encountered a rain storm unlike any i have had to drive in ...for a very long time...
it was the kind of rain where you think you should pull over and wait for it to stop but you realize..if you do there's a good chance someone behind you could easily have trouble seeing and run into you...so you go slow but you keep moving...

halfway back to the office...
the rain stopped...and the sun came out...

i guess...
sometimes...life is about perspective...
if my meeting didn't run so long...i wouldn't have been there to help this woman...
it was only a small gesture...and surely someone else would have helped her..
if i didn't stop to help her..
i wouldn't have locked my keys in my car..
if i didn't lock my keys in the car...chances are...
i might have been back at the office before it really started raining...
then again..
things could have turned out much differently...
and i don't know how..
but they could have...

anyway...i think out of what happened that day
the thing is..
i think about the girls ...and my grandchildren..
and i hope..
someday..if they need any kind of help..
i hope..
someone will stop and help no matter how small..
or large the help needed...

this mornings music...
epic hero....end of the line...

"she takes the westbound train
searching for the claifornia sky
with 8 bucks in her pocket
and a suitcase full of dreams that never die
she breathes real deep and sets her mind
upon the unknown
she cries so hard when she hears
seger on the radio
the world's wide open
her eyes so bright

i know that you see the trees
made of gold
and i'll see the world war in your
eyes unfold
i know that you will be
perfectly fine
when you see your world stop short
of the end of the line

she breathes into the window
draws her name and wipes it with her sleeve
she takes just a moment
to reflect on all the things that made her leave
she laughs while the world is sleeping
through the night
she throws her arms in the air
smiles and says "good-bye"
the worlds wide open
her eyes so bright

i know that you see the trees
made of Gold
and i'll see the world war in your
eyes unfold
i know that you will be
perfectly fine
when you see your world stop short
of the end of the line

i know that you see the trees
made of Gold
and I'll see the world war in your
your eyes unfold
i know that you will be
perfectly fine
when you see your world stop short
of the end of the line..."