On the way to my father’s house yesterday, I hit a car on the Merritt Parkway. The good news is, no one was hurt. The bad news is, there was some damage to the rear bumper of the car I hit. The good news is that I wasn’t on my phone talking or texting. The bad news is traffic was backed up, I took my eyes off the road for an instant, kept moving, albeit at a slow speed, but enough to hear that horrific crunching sound that sends shivers through every pore of your body.
We were able to
easily pull our cars over into a wide swath alongside the Merritt,
avoiding messing up traffic any further and outraging the other
drivers on the parkway. We exited our vehicles to assess the damages.
Now for the best
news. The young man driving the car I hit immediately put his arm
around my shoulders and said, “Don’t worry, I’m a happy
person.”
OMG, I was shocked.
I said, “I’m a happy person too and you are a sweetheart.”
We chatted, looked
at our cars, mine was essentially untouched, but his would need some
repair.
Since it was his
father’s car, he called him to get guidance. He told his son to get
my information and take photos of my license, insurance and
registration. I also gave him my card with phone number and email
address. Then his father asked to speak to me. He was as pleasant and
understanding as his son (not far from the tree, as they say). He
asked if we were alright, agreed that going through insurance would
only jack up rates and that I would pay the repair cost directly.
The young man (whose
name I failed to get) and I soon parted ways, but not before he
cheerfully said, “I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.”
Since no one was
close to being injured, it was almost worth bumping into the car so
that I could meet this charming, polite young man. (Although I might
not feel this way when I see the repair bill.)
In these turbulent
times – politically, environmentally, socially, journalistically,
spiritually, whatever – this young man restored something for me
that has been missing of late. I think it may be a belief in the
goodness of people.
Thank you, young man
from New Jersey. I look forward to hearing from you and learning your
name.
