Strange things I have done

This was maybe 25 years ago.  I was taking the roads less traveled between Memphis and Philadelphia, MS.  It is not uncommon for me to leave the interstates, GPS, and maps aside and travel by instinct if I have the time.   I knew I needed to travel in a generally SE direction. I don’t know what month it was, but it was hot.  I ended up on a well maintained gravel road.  I came to an intersection and “Miss Daisy” was standing there …a woman well in her 80s, well dressed for the 1930s…and with several pieces of red leather luggage….maybe 5 to 7.   Anyway, it was much more than she could have managed by herself. Yet, there she was ….no houses in sight…in 90+ degree weather.

I saw myself having little choice. I pulled over and spoke to her. There was no doubt she was disoriented.  I asked her if she needed a ride, and she accepted. She told me she was going to “Williams”.   Of course, as I am driving, I am trying to figure out what to do with her.  My main thought is “please don’t die”.  I am replaying every trash the South movie I have ever seen with the image of me being lynched for murdering “Miss Daisy”.  

Through some miracle I come upon a town. I am looking for a police station, hospital…..anything.  As I come upon a 4 way stop ….i can’t remember stop signs or lights …I notice a congressman’s office on my right.  Good enough!   I run inside and begin to explain the situation ….the lady at the desk interrupts and says, “Oh, you must have “Miss Daisy”.  She looks out the door and confirms it is indeed “Miss Daisy”.   She escorts “Miss Daisy” inside as I carry the luggage . …and thanks me for caring so much.   I have no idea what the back story is …especially how she got to…and got dropped off at … a remote crossroads in rural Mississippi.

I did something similar with a woman who claimed to be having a heart attack as I was coming out of my daughter's Kumon tutoring session.
She was in tears saying she had called a taxi that didn't come and she thought she was dying and I said, my car is right here, what hospital are you going to?
And off we went. Only once we got rolling did I think about what would happen if a COMPLETE STRANGER DIED IN MY CAR.
We doubleparked on the big avenue and I dragged her out, leaving my kid in the car (the more I remember the more I shudder) and as we went into the ER and I called for help the woman was like, ah yes, Miss Whatever, you again?
I got out of there quickly before anything could escalate, or before I could learn she had alzheimers and wasn't supposed to leave her house, etc etc.

I will have to think today about more... I have the tendency to say "sure" and do things other people wouldn't, I'm sure I have some far stranger stories.

Once I encountered a frail older man trying to get his wife out of a wheel chair in the parking lot of a hospital.  She ended up on the ground and I tried to help her up though I could not.

I went into the hospital to the service desk and explained the people needed help.  I just got blank stares or something what are we suppose to do.  I really thought they would send security or someone to help.

That was the last time I had this experience because I will never try to help again.

My mother was one of those with alzheimers and before we moved her down here with us she was rescued several times by strangers...at least once it probably saved her life.

She always said she was going home but 'home' at that point in her mind was where she grew up as a child so she would just take off walking with her purse and inappropriate clothing for the weather and be miles out of the little town where she actually lived before someone would be concerned and help her home or sometimes to the local police station.
I was hours away and unable to help at that point so was always grateful for the good folks who did.

The only time I 'saved' someone that I can think of was a ~5 year old in Target. She was standing there alone, crying so hard she was shuddering and people were just pushing carts past her like it was nothing. I stopped, figured out she was physically OK, picked her up and started talking to her. She was just separated from her family. So I spoke soothingly to her while we walked around looking for them. five minutes later, they acted like I was a weirdo when we found them, but she was sure glad to wriggle down and run over to be with them.

ETA: I've spent a lot more time and effort "saving" stray pets -- that might say something about me (for better or worse).

This thread is making interesting circles with generosity!

Someone saved my kid once, and it still stops me in my tracks to think about it.
We were in a big store with multiple stories and departments.
She was about 6ish, at the age when you shouldn't be on your own yet but really want to be. She was making me absolutely insane and I had a schedule to keep and I lost my temper with her, she was sulking behind me on the escalator and I don't know if she decided to walk down the escalator or what, but she stumbled and I didn't see it. The people behind me did, and caught her before she could fall and get really hurt-- I am so grateful they just didn't think twice.

Me and a guy were driving one day, saw two boys (maybe 8 and 11) with bikes on the ditch where they had been riding. The little one was bleeding horribly. I stopped the car, we got out, I looked at the kid's face, at the damage (he had gotten into barbed wire) told him to get into the car. He said "I'm not allowed to go with strangers" I said "There's a time and a place for that, this is not it. Get in the car, this guy and your brother will bring the bikes." He directed me to the house, no one home. I took him in the bathroom, washed the blood off his face, gave him a cold wet cloth to hold over it, said "How do I contact your parents?" "Mom is working 50 miles away, dad's closer, his number is on the fridge." I called "Hi, you don't know me, I'm in your house and your younger son needs to go to the ER for stitches, get here NOW."

His mom called me the next day to thank me, the kid had gotten 20 stitches in his face. She felt horribly guilty she wasn't there. I told it came out ok, I was there. I told her I was sorry I used white washcloths on the blood, that's all I could find. She said "Oh, that's all I buy! I dress my boys in white too, then you know when they are dirty!" All I could think there is they are boys, yes, they are dirty, that's why you dress them in dark colors, so you don't have to see it!  :D

As a kid who spent a LOT of time out and about and on the ditches and streets, it's not like his mom would have been a lot more useful if she had been home. They were only about 1/4 mile from their house, but they had the bikes they weren't going to leave and were both upset and not thinking clearly. It would have taken them a while to get there.

One more, I was about 9 or 10, walking home from school, when a BIG dog came after me (St Bernard mix, BIG dog) I ran up to a house that had a Helping Hand in the window (Remember those? She was on the route the kids walked home, and a lot of the houses had those.) hit the door bell, pounded on the door, then opened the door and went in, started yelling "Hello? I'm in your house! I'm being chased by a BIG dog!!" The lady was very nice about it, made the dog go away. I am VERY grateful she was nice about it. I was not raised to go in stranger's houses without permission. The dog scared me more, but it was a close run which bothered me more.

When I first posted, my thoughts were on “strange things”.   I find myself agreeing with Theresa,  it is amazing the level of generosity and involvement we have as a group….especially for a group of recluses.

John F Dean wrote:... I find myself agreeing with Theresa,  it is amazing the level of generosity and involvement we have as a group….especially for a group of recluses.

I wonder if people who are naturally observant are attracted to permaculture? Many of these situations come down to first noticing there's a problem?

Decades and decades ago, my family  went camping to a Provincial Campground with long term friends of my parents. They had a son my age who had brought a friend.  We were hanging around when I noticed a young girl had gone by our spot for a third time and was looking increasingly upset. I declared to the boys that she was lost. They looked at me like I had 3 heads and it wasn't our business.

Permies as a group also seem to be problem solvers... certainly I am. I looked at the boys and used my "do as I say" voice - get on your bikes and "go around the campground asking if anyone's lost a little girl." In the meantime. I convinced the little girl on her 4th time past to stay with me and let the boys find her people.

I made sure the boys got all the credit for finding the lost family!  

Reading Anne’s post, I can empathize in that things don’t always go well. In my own community of 3000…in a driving rain storm, I saw a lady walking down a sidewalk and thoroughly soaked. I offered her a ride.  As soon as she entered my car she said, “I can say you touched me.”  To which I responded, “ You can get out now or at the police station.”  She exited my car.   I still offer people rides in my community when they seem in need.

You asked for strange.....

One time I was leaving the pharmacy, and it is a busy road (4 lanes, typical urban traffic) and nobody would give me a break. I was watching and watching and watching over my left shoulder, trying to pull out to the right side to enter the traffic.
Apparently, on the other side, a pedestrian on the other side of the car decided she was going to cross in front of me, even though I was nudging the car forward.
I went to pull out slowly and heard a thump, and this woman was standing there in front of my car. In my panic, I thought I must have run over her foot, and I rolled back and jumped out to see if she was okay.
She was dressed really strangely -expensive and clean clothing, but just flat-out weird. Like a kid who is going to be in disguise: a trenchcoat, a hat with a scarf tied over it, hat pulled down really low and sunglasses.
I was upset and asked if she was okay, and she responded with... sounds, not words. I once lived in a place with a big Deaf community and I figured she must be deaf, but I don't sign, and I was thinking about getting a pen when she suddenly started whacking the crap out of me with her umbrella. I ran into the pharmacy, figuring maybe she was a patient or ... something? I thought maybe she was all covered up strangely because she was post-surgery and hiding bandages, maybe.
But then she was gone. Poof. Nobody in the pharmacy had seen her. Cameras in the drive didnt show anything.
To this day I have no idea what the hell happened. I drove to my husband's shop, shaking, and tried to pull myself together.
I've had "seen a ghost" experiences, a few times, but never had a ghost (or a random lady) try to beat me with an umbrella. For months after that I avoided that part of town just in case, to avoid both umbrella ladies and ghosts. (now thinking about the trenchcoat, maybe it was a Men In Black kind of alien? someone in disguise who didn't want to give away their identity by talking? I still have absolutely no explanation.)

A medium-sized woman fell right beside our table at a restaurant. I jumped up to help her husband as my husband and son dumbly looked on.

I had on some really stretchy jeans, and during the struggle I was showing about 5 inches of crack, which my husband and son verified after the ordeal was over.

My son gets a pass because he was a young teen; his dad is now my ex. Par for the course!