what's wrong with people anymore?

so there was a little mishap on northbound IN 49.

on my way to work this morning there was a bit of a jam northbound at the stoplight at 500. when i finally inched up there, i saw a little old man trying to push his car out of traffic. his car had obviously overhetad and smoke was pouring out from under his hood. ALL KINDS OF TRAFFIC just drove around him--a little old man clearly in need of assistance.

so all pissed off, i pulled over, threw my car into park, and ran out to help him amidst the traffic on the highway. everyone just continued to drive around us and our efforts to remove the car from the road. (what the heck? do i live in a crappy place where everyone is so self-absorbed they can't help out a fellow human being that is in trouble?)

that aside, i let the man (his name is dale) use my cell fone to call ahead to the caravan that he was traveling with to let them know he didn't make it through the light. they agreed to circle back. since i knew he got a hold of his wife and son-in-law, i asked the man if there was anyone else he needed to call or anything. i also asked if he wanted me to stick around until they got there. he said he was ok and felt fine knowing they were on their way.

i stuck around for a few minutes but felt comfortable leaving him, knowing that he had reached his wife. i wished a good day upon him and headed back on the beaten path to work.

in my office a bit later, i heard my cell fone ringing. i don't usually get a signal in my office so i didn't even bother to answer. when i left for lunch, (jimmy johns...woohoo!) i checked my messages as i drove.

dale's wife was that one whose number i did not recognize. she had called twice and left a message once. here was her message: "i just wanted to thank you so much for helping my husband get his car off to the shoulder and to let him use your cell phone. i'm also thankful you didn't stay any longer than you did to help him. please call me when you get this message."

i was seriously like, WHAT THE HECK??? so i called her back immediately and asked if everything was ok. she explained to me that just as soon as i had left, they pulled up. instantaneously as her husband and son-in-law popped the hood to see what was wrong, a semi that wasn't able to stop at the light (for whatever reason) came barreling into them and ran them both over. the little old man (dale) was released from the hospital around 1 or 2 p.m. but his son-in-law didn't fare so well.

please pray for their family. and luckily, i didn't stick around cuz i could've been a pancake myself as well today.

but just a thought...what the h-e-double-hockey-stix is wrong with people today? i've not ever been so mad in a VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY long time. (thankfully, this is a righteous anger.) i'd love to go through life not being so cynical but unfortunately, more and more i'm seeing the worst of my fellow humans. good grief.