To the Editor:

We were only a mile from our exit on to Lake Boone Trail when the tire went flat last Friday on Raleigh’s beltline. Rush hour was well underway. We were to meet our daughter, who was treating us to a movie. I pull over to the shoulder just beyond an entrance ramp from Crabtree Valley Mall, put on the flashers and called AAA. “Be there in 45 minutes or less,” they assured me. So, I persuaded my wife to join me in exiting our car and sitting in the shade on the guard rail between us and the woods, but safely behind our car — I’d raised the trunk and place the doughnut spare against the rail to help AAA.

Thousands of folks flew by, most doing 70 mph or more. After 20 minutes, a young Hispanic American male stopped, parked in front of us, stuck out his hand as I read the name “Rafael” on his work shirt, and I thanked him for coming so quickly. Turns out he was not from AAA, but instead had simply stopped to offer to change this older couple’s tire. I thanked him profusely, but declined, as I knew AAA was on the way, and he drove off.

A few minutes later, AAA did arrive and a European American young man named John did his job efficiently and well. As he was tightening the lug nuts, a young African American woman stopped behind us, approached my wife bearing a grocery bag and handed it to her, explaining that she had passed us earlier, gone to Food Lion and bought us snacks and drinks as she suspected we could use them. My wife nearly burst into tears and hugged her, but noticed from her shirt that her name was Emily and that she worked in housekeeping at a hotel. She wouldn’t let us pay her, waved, smiled and drove off in her Ford. As my spouse explained what had just happened, I quickly gave the bag of food as a tip to our new friend John from AAA.

Lots of folks passed by, but three stopped: one because it was his job; two because it just seemed the right thing to do. Americans all, but from Latino, African American and European ancestry, and their combined ages didn’t even equal one of ours. Same may be true of their income. Good to be reminded there are lots of fine young people out there., some looking a lot like us, some not, but love and kindness know no color.

Rev. Charles M. Smith
Washington