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Just my Luck |
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I put a lot of miles on my van while traveling around to all the events that I attend during the course of the year. So far this year, I have attended 31 events. Some are local and many are across the country. I have racked up over 30,000 miles on the Astro since January. During all that driving, I see a lot of odd things on the side of the road. Burned out hulks are all that remains of some vehicles. On other occasions I've seen trailers that have come loose and traveled a way by themselves before making a rather unglamorous pile of rubble at the bottom of a hill beside the road.
With all the people I see along the road, I have yet to be in a position to be able to offer assistance to anyone in trouble. I was sitting in a restaurant just off the exits in a recent trip and told that to a fellow traveler over a cheeseburger. He started to laugh and told me it was just as well that I hadn't stopped to help anyone. The following story relayed by him is the cause of the laughter: I had been driving the rig for a while and I saw a car pulled over to the side, with a second car pulling up behind the first car. The driver of the second car was walking toward the broken vehicle extending a hand with a cell phone in an offer of help. I thought to myself, that is nice and something you don't see very often any more. With all the stories of kidnapping and danger on the highways, it is rare to see someone helping others. A day or so later, I saw another car stop to help someone. I began to feel rather bad that I hadn't helped anyone in need in so long that I couldn't remember. I promised myself that when the next opportunity presented its self, I was going to help someone. I even began to wish that the car in front of me would break down so that I could be a hero. I got to the point that I was talking to the cars around me. Bust your radiator, blow your motor, have a flat. So desperate was I to be of some help. Finally, late one evening, I saw a car parked under a bridge with the driver still in the car with his head hanging down in a despondent nature. Quickly, I braked to a stop behind the car. Jauntily, I moved toward the driver's window with my cell phone extended and spoke to the driver as I leaned near the open window: Can I help you? The driver really looked perturbed and it confused me until I realized his was relieving himself into an empty drink bottle. As I hurriedly made my way back to the truck, I heard the driver mutter: Busybody pervert The driver finished his burger and laughed again and told me that he hoped I had better luck if I ever offered to help someone who appeared to be in trouble. Back at the track, I don't think I ever saw a driver more excited that Bobby Lagana after he posted a personal best ET of 4.740 in the first round of qualifying in Martin, Michigan. I was waiting in front of his rig to try to shake Bobby's hand when he returned to his pits. He was riding on the back of the tow vehicle as he neared his pit when he jumped off the back and came running toward his teammates. I also had my camera ready and snapped off a series of shots while he came running and pumping his fist and smiling as big as his face would allow. I am proud of Bobby for his career-best ET and also for being there when I had my camera and allowing me to get a career-best photograph of pure joy.
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