I am a SAMERICAN!

American Samaritan

This morning was insane I tell you... INSANE! Woke up at 6:45 and headed out about an hour later to get the Marine girl to the Macon airport. She, being the super smart kid that she is, had printed her boarding passes & checked in her baggage online. I love computers. We got to the airport about 20 minutes before her connector flight left (Macon only has 2 flights a day and both are to Hartsfield). There was a lady in front of us, that the clerk was insisting she was too late to check her baggage and she could take a flight in the morning. Well, she was from out of state, had been in GA on business and needed to get to her next stop. There are no motels/hotels/otherwise near the Macon airport, so this lady was going to have to either rent a car or take a cab either to a hotel or to Atlanta in hopes of getting her flight out.

Well, lo & behold, stupid clerk tells Lauren that we are too late for her to check her baggage. Heh, it never occurred to either of us that her baggage WAS checked, he just needed to take it! Lauren turns to me and asks if I could run her up to Atlanta, well, sure, her actual flight out of Hartsfield isn't until 12:45 anyway, that's plenty of time. As we leave, the lady that had been ahead of us asked if we were going to the Atlanta airport could we give her a ride. Absolutely! Somebody in this state has got to show everyone that southern hospitality truly does exist.

So, with luggage & passengers loaded up we head back north. I was going to buy gas in Macon because it's cheaper than our little podunk town of Forsyth, but realized I would be ok until I got past our house and on up a ways (yeah, that's a southern thing) to McDonough where I could fuel up at one of the truck stops. We pull off to get gas and Judy, our passenger, offered to buy. Lauren & I both told her no, but she insisted, so I told her just put $20 in, that's all I'd planned to get anyway. I ran into the store to use the facilities & get a Fuze (yes, I must be specific - Fuze is nearly as needful a thing for me as SOBE). When I came out I glanced over and saw that Judy had FILLED MY TANK!!!!! We are talking $60! I was flabbergasted. I didn't expect her to do anything at all, we were going to Atlanta anyway, we were trying to help her out and she turns around and did that. According to her it would have cost her more money had she rented a car or called a cab & went to a motel for the night. Well, maybe so, but still. It was greatly appreciated and I wish I'd thought to at least exchange email addys with her.

In the end, one good turn deserves another and there ARE still good samaritans out there in this world. I was lucky enough to meet one today. I hope she made her flight, but maybe if she didn't she was able to get another one later today.

Yes, I am a very proud Samerican and so is Judy!