An Unfortunate Turn of Events At The Fair

Note the sunglasses in his pocket.

The Oklahoma State Fair marks the anniversary of the first date I went on with my boyfriend Dane. We made it inside the fairgrounds at around 6 P.M. and enjoyed the evening walking around incoherently, playing nostalgic coin games, and watching people make fools of themselves. It was a great time and we were even able to the find the correct gate exiting the fair easily for once. (Last year we ended up walking around forever trying to find where we parked and it is the last inconvenience you need at the end of the day.)

Before reaching the car, we spotted a man in the parking lot who looked very perplexed. When we approached him, he barely spoke English and his car was stuck in a ditch filled with mud. My first thoughts were "What kind of idiot thinks this is a great parking spot..?"

 Anyways, Dane and I decided to help this man and ended up failing on our first attempt. In fact, Dane nearly threw his back out and I almost got a hernia forcing on this 4- door sedan as its wheels spun out with no effort. Another good samaritan sees us in passing and helps us on our second attempt pushing from the back bumper. I got a running start and together we finally managed to free him from the ditch. The man drove off without much of a "Thank you", but we didn't think about that until we were halfway home.

I always run to greet our little pup after being out all day and took him outside to potty when I heard Dane yell "GODDAMMIT!" from inside the house. In the process of helping this man, Dane lost his polarized Ray-Ban sunglasses that were inside his shirt pocket. It was a his only pair and a gift from me last Christmas. A good deed that otherwise would have cost that man $70 in towing fees actually cost us almost $200. He wasn't mad over the material aspect, but more so the sentimental value and proceeded to question the universe in a fit.

It was a shitty situation, but my goal was not to let it to ruin the rest of our night. I affirmed that what he did wasn't necessarily a lost cause and that it shouldn't deter him from helping other people. My only hope is that very same man will pass on the favor and help someone else in need. Next year though, we're leaving the expensive stuff behind.

"Kindness is one of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon another. If someone is in need, lend them a helping hand. Do not wait for a thank you. True kindness lies within the act of giving without the expectation of something in return."

-Katharine Hepburn