Today's paper tells of an accident
that happened in Bear Creek,
which winds it's way through Merced.
A week ago it was nearly dry in spots but several
days of rain have it running fast, muddy and cold.
A small car missed a turn
during a downpour and flipped
down the embankment into 10 feet of water.
A good samaritan handed his cell phone
to his wife to call 911 then jumped in.
He helped those in the water to the bank
then went back and rescued
the last person still in the car,
all before the first responders even arrived.
Miracle enough?
Here's the Something Special
that sets this story apart.
The good samaritan
was able to act so quickly
because he and his wife
were taking refuge
under the nearby bridge.
Homeless.
Or "Houseless" as the man prefers to say.
Now he is a hero.
A hero who walked away
in wet clothes with a blanket and $5 for coffee
as the accident victims were taken to the hospital for hypothermia.
Some will say they were all lucky.
Some will say he was stupid to risk his own life.
Some will even reach into the
darkest corners of their jaded hearts
and find a way to put a negative spin
on it, to make it political, to de-humanize it.
I prefer to Believe
in compassion,
in the human spirit,
in miracles.
I was preparing the following photos for a post and almost didn't include them after deciding to post this story. I changed my mind because the simple 99 cent window clings I was featuring really speak to my heart.
When you Believe,
you will find hope,
