Gift from a stranger

Care. Generosity. Selflessness. These all seem so hard to find or see as each day passes me by. I've always been so optimistic growing up. My teachers would wish me that I always keep it, and I never really understood why.... I realized, as I grew into a women, how greedy and selfish a lot of the world is. Even the the charitable people felt the need to be publicized or it wasn't worth it.

As a kid, you notice so much more, in my opinion. You see a lot more of the good as well. But you also observe the destructive, the rude, and the cruel. You question the situation but turn away. If your parents or elders were like mine, they'd just say, "that's just how the world is." 

That's not how the "world" is, that's how people have become. It's a domino effect in most cases. If I'm over here grinning, you're more than likely to smile as well. Good vibes from any person spreads like a fire. You're usually not taught to be selfish and rude. I'm sure at least once in your life your guardian told you to share, to help, or to say you're sorry. "That's just how the world is."

Day by day, it became clear and even clearer that that optimistic mindset will get you taken advantage of, stolen from, and hurt. 

So this is probably my favorite story of a stranger's generosity. 

My life was crumbling. Everything that could go wrong.. Did.

I moved a state away from my family and friends out of anger and guilt. Looking down the driveway in my rearview mirror was exhilarating. I turned the music up as loud as it would go. I was euphoric. I rolled the window down and let the wind blow my hair in every direction without a care in the world. I had this plan that once I got into the next state I'd stay with an old friend that I hadn't seen in at least a year. Quitting my job maybe 2 hours before packing my car with all of my things and heading out of state, I had a job lined up where my friend lived. It was the perfect start to a new beginning. I ended up living with my friend's girlfriend. Constantly working, I couldn't find the time to get my own place, like I had wanted. So I gave her the money I had been saving up from my old job and asked her to the apartment we agreed on and make an appointment. We lived together a while. Job wise I thought I got introduced to a better opportunity and took it. I was wrong. Then I find out that the two love birds want to live together and I need to find a new place to live. And she had every right to do so, because she never added my name to the lease like she had told me before. Only having my car and things I moved here with, I honestly was depressed. Of course it had to be the worst winter in five years. My car didn't have heat or A/C, and in that town you had to pay to park anywhere. It was hard to stay hygienic. The new job I was so optimistic about ended up closing. Running out of money, self esteem, positivity, and even faith, my father called me. He asked how I was doing, how everything was, if I was ok. I wanted so badly to cry and tell him everything. However, my pride made me bite my tongue. Worse things happened after that and I finally swallowed my pride and called my parents. They said I could go home and live with them for a while. The following day I was about to travel back home when my car began acting up. My father told me how to fix it and I was off. About an hour out, my car began smoking from underneath the hood. Pulling over, I was freaking out and calling everyone I knew for help or advice. I waited an hour and a half on the side of the freeway before a super nice gentleman pulled over and helped me out. He inspected my car and found the problem. Spending his own hard earned money he bought everything to help fix my car. He worked on it. Once my car was set to go he gave me money for my long journey. And the entire time he was a complete gentleman. 

I'm so thankful for that man. Not only did he help me with my car but he helped me with my mentality and faith.