This week, in addition to painting, I have been busy putting together my website which should be up and running before next week. I am happy to finally have this done - it has taken a bit more effort than I was thinking it would. There is also a juried show coming up for which I am hustling to paint a couple of watercolors, and then there are the final touches on my red tulips commission. I have also hung 5 paintings in a shop close by - so, along with my very busy day job, all of these things have made the week seem full.
A bit of a snowstorm had just ended when I got in my jeep to drive to work yesterday morning. Part of my trip is down a very long hill into a valley, which, if you are not careful, you can gain a great deal of speed on. As I got to the bottom of that hill, I noticed a young girl walking in the ditch, and a car that had run off the road into the barbed wire fencing. I stopped, and this young 20 year old was sobbing as she walked. NO ONE had stopped to help her, and there were plenty of cars that had gone by! She was unable to get cell reception in the valley, and had walked up that long hill to call for help, then back down again to her car. After sitting in my jeep and talking for about 10 minutes, she finally calmed down enough to be able to laugh a little, and talk about herself. This was a very young, very vulnerable person who needed help, whose car was visible in the ditch and no one would stop. What is wrong with people these days? You could easily see that this girl was not dressed for the weather, was in distress, and was not a threat to whomever would help her.
After about 30 minutes, her boyfriend arrived with truck and chains to pull her car out. She had bought her car 2 weeks before, without winter tires. Going down that hill, she gathered too much speed, hit black ice, and slammed into the ditch. Fortunately, her air bags did not deploy, and she was not injured - just shaken.
How discouraging to hear that not one person - not even the snowplow driver who sped past her - would stop to lend a hand. I was late to my first meeting of the day, but to me, this girl whose name is Destiny was far more important. This was, in fact, the meeting that was destined for my day... and I am glad I had the chance to respond in a way that seems RIGHT!
This sunset is the view out my living room window, to the west. When I see the glorious beauty of Alberta skies like this, I am uplifted in my spirit - just as I was when I left Destiny safely in the truck of her boyfriend.
If you would like to purchase a print of this photograph, please contact me: jogiesbrecht@gmail.com
5 comments:
What a striking photo! It really captures that glorious burst of colour that happens right before dark sets in.
What a blessing that you were on hand to help that girl. I can't imagine how frustrated and alone she must have felt before you showed up. Thanks for being one of those people who stops and makes sure everything is okay!
I'm so glad you stopped. The same thing happened to me when I was sixteen. I flipped my car 3 times, I had been thrown out onto the road and people just drove around me. I will never understand it. Also, I love your photos, you live in such a beautiful place!
Hi Michelle,
I am sure you would have stopped to help this girl too. She was such a sweet person, and over and over thanked me for stopping. She will never forget how many people just passed by her... very traumatic, even though she was not injured! Thanks for the comments on the photo. What beauty surrounds us when we take the time to look!
Hi Emm,
It is so nice to hear from you! I am absolutely shocked to my core at what happened to you when you were 16. People drove around you lying on the road!!!! It makes me feel sick - literally. Like you, I am struggling to make sense of it - but I just can't understand it.
Thank you for your encouragement with my photos. I enjoy those special moments when I get to see something spectacular that only lasts a few minutes. When I happen to get a picture of it that I can share - it makes it so much better an experience! Take care, Emm.
I'm so glad you stopped. What are people thinking of? reminds me of that story in New York. Poor woman was murdered just outside their windows and everyone else assume that somebody else had called the police or was going to do something.
Post a Comment