Big Chain

Album Currently Playing: The Essential Neil Diamond
Song Currently Filling the Air: I am….I said

Part of the adventure of Tulsa last week was braving the airport parking lot. I’m sure it’s a special challenge to try (operative word) to clean the thing up. With all the snow and ice and cars there for a long time there were a number of cars snowed into the parking lot. Some from the piles of snow and some from poor choices. It was pretty much dangerous in the lot but one experience has stuck with me.

When I first got there I realized a flight or two had come in before Ang and there were a number of people trying to leave. Unfortunately for them they were dressed in their Cole Hans and business suits and so that sweet little BMW just couldn’t get out of the snow. There ended up being a few people who got this novel idea to…help each other. They took turns pushing each other out and on my way into the terminal I participated in a couple of these resurrections. It was quite the joyous event.

Once I’d met up with my family I headed back out with the luggage to actually leave the parking lot and pull around to arrivals so they wouldn’t have to trek across the barren wasteland that was the parking lot.

On my way to the car I saw a girl who was alone and stuck. Here Civic had bottomed out and she was trying to get unstuck. To her credit (she used to live in Colorado) she had come prepared with a shovel, boards for under her tires, and a blanket in the back seat should she get stranded this close to civilization. I offered my assistance which proved the first time to be of no use. As she was finishing her second attempt to dig out some of the snow and I was positioning the boards a second time (this time actually under the front wheels) a nice gentleman pulled up in his huge Dodge truck. The conversation went a little something like this:

Dude: You guys need some help?
Me: Sure, we’re just getting ready to push again.
Dude: Oh, well for a small donation I’ll be happy to pull you out.
Me: What?
Me Inside: Enormous jerk say what?
Dude: I got a huge chain and I’ve been pulling people out all night for a donation.
Me: Well we were going to try and push one last time if you…
Dude: I’m gonna check and see if anybody else needs my help, I’ll circle around and if you are still here I’ll see what I can do.
Me:
Me Inside: WWJD kind of.

Needless to say our second try was successful partially fueled by my righteous anger. Once she was on her way she told me thanks to which I simply replied. No donation necessary.

It always amazes me at the things we'll do for money. Now, there was nothing wrong with what the guy was doing. There was nothing illegal, it was more the approach. When he first pulled up I was really impressed that some guy was driving around helping people, that quickly crumbled when I realized that he'd driven all the way to the airport to make a quick buck.

While I’m grumpy, I was driving through Joplin the other day when I happened upon a minivan with a really obnoxious sticker stragetically placed in the middle of the back window. It simply had a cross on each side and said in the middle clergy.

I am definitely not saying I’ve got this thing figured out but here are a couple ideas I’ve got. Quit feeling entitled and stop thinking what you’re offering is worth money. Maybe the simple kind act is enough. Maybe your actions should speak and not your bumper sticker. And maybe we should all remember that service often requires that we get out of our truck. Maybe I shouldn’t seem so grumpy. Time for some Crunchy Granola Suite—make me happy Neil.