Dripping Life April 11

About six weeks ago, my neighbor was walking her dog – not a big dog – but big enough to pull you down if he saw something he wanted to chase…and that’s what happened. One minute they were walking along the main road of our subdivision, and the next minute, my neighbor was on the ground, in pain and calling her dog to come back.

Three or four cars whizzed by as she was lying there, regaining her composure, assessing for broken bones and then struggling to get back on her feet. Nobody stopped. I think that hurt her more than the scrapes and bruises, more than her bruised pride, even more than her dog gaining the upper hand. No one, not anyone stopped to help.

Her story shattered my heart…and in the traditional American way, my first thought was finding someone or something to blame. Aha! Must be people are too busy to notice a senior citizen lying by the side of the road. My faith in mankind was on wobbly legs. 

Last Monday, my sister (actually my ex-husband’s sister) was scheduled for out-patient surgery, a biopsy done under general anesthetic. She lives in Albuquerque. Alone. She was widowed when her two sons were young. 

I also must add, my sister is fiercely independent but not as self-sufficient as she once was. Few of us are after a certain age.

Because she was told not to drive to the hospital, she called the city’s senior transportation service and made an appointment. She was scheduled to be picked up between 6:30 and 7 a.m. She was told to be waiting outside her home. 

Early that Monday morning, the temperature in Albuquerque was in the 30s. Sis went outside around 6:30 a.m. on the off-chance she was first on the list. She also made her way to the curb since she doesn’t move as quickly as she once did.

Shortly, a pick-up truck stopped and a complete stranger rolled down the window. He wanted to know if she was okay or lost or feeling well. He may have thought this senior citizen, standing on the curb so early in the morning, may have been a wandering Alzheimer’s patient. 

She explained she was waiting for a ride to the hospital. 

“I’m not leaving you to wait alone out here,” he said. “I need to drop something at my home – just a few houses down – and I’ll be back.”

When he returned, he suggested she get into the truck and she could stay warm while she waited.

My sister thanked him and then explained her arthritis made it impossible for her to climb into pick-ups, but the fire fighter persisted: “I’ll open the passenger door, turn up the heater and you can stand close enough to stay warm until your ride gets here.”

My sister agreed, and the man not only made sure she was warm, but climbed out of the warm cab and stood outside with her. 

While they waited, he told her he was a fire fighter and worked at the downtown station. He introduced himself, but by the time she shared the story, she was foggy about his name.

Being a journalist, I wanted to know his name, so I called Lt. Tom Ruiz – Public Information Officer -- at Albuquerque Fire and Rescue. At first, he was hesitant about sharing personnel information, but soon understood when I told the story of the fire fighter’s stopping to help my sister, going the extra mile, putting aside whatever he had on his schedule to help a complete stranger…truly concerned about my sister, older, standing in the cold weather so early in the morning.

Lt. Ruiz called back to tell me my sister’s Good Samaritan was Capt. Eddie Mireles, a first responder with the department for the past two decades. Lt. Ruiz said he had worked for Capt. Mireles, and knew he demanded the best from the fire fighters at the downtown station. “But he has a heart of gold. I should have known it was Capt. Mireles,” Lt. Ruiz said.

Typically, the media lets us know only about the “bad apples” in an organization and rarely shares stories about people like Capt. Mireles who take time to stop and help perfect strangers.

Lt. Ruiz promised he would let his higher-ups know about our high praise for this outstanding first responder, both on and off the clock. The captain truly deserves special recognition because what he did for my sister was, indeed, above and beyond the call.

The Dalai Lama said this about kindness, like the captain showed that day: “The true essence of humankind is KINDNESS. There are other qualities which come from education or knowledge, but it is essential, if one wishes to be a genuine human being and impart satisfying meaning to one’s existence, to HAVE A GOOD HEART.”

As a side note: Eddie Mireles’ kindness that day made it easier for my sister to go through the biopsy and spend a night in the hospital. When the lab results were complete, the diagnosis was positive for a malignancy. She will undergo surgery sometime next week. All prayers are welcomed.