Good news: I’m staying at a cabin in the mountains with my two dogs.

Bad news: We parked at a trailhead to go for a hike and when I got out I saw I had a perfectly flat tire.

Good news: I was able to find a level spot in the adjacent campground and put the spare on.

Bad news: The spare was flat.

Good news: There was a gas station just a couple miles down the road so we drove there and they had a working air hose!

More good news: The spare held!

Better news: We drove back to the trailhead and took our hike.

Bad news: While I was changing the tire at least half a dozen people cruised past me, and about the same number of rubberneckers watched from the nearby dog park, yet not one slowed to ask if I was okay, or strolled less than two hundred feet over to see if a 63-year old needed help changing a tire.

Good news: I’m a 63-year old healthy and smart enough to fix her own flats.

Bad news: What happened to kindness, to caring about a stranger? Circumstances permitting I always stop and ask a distressed motorist if they need help. Usually they’re fine but a couple times I’ve been able to jump a dead battery with my nifty deli-sandwich size charger and once I helped a teen who had no idea how to change his flat. None of the stops took more than 15 minutes and each was a huge help to a stranded stranger. 

Good news: I didn’t need the help but a little moral support is always welcome. I’m going to keep being kind to strangers and hope it spreads.

(PS – go check your spare tire and if I’m around I’ll help you change it.)

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