MERRY CHRISTMAS

Season with Real Reason

Merry Christmas, everyone. I just got a subtle nudge from my great friend Tim Sams who wrote in an email, "Update your blog, man!"  Leave it to a brilliant, beardy carpenter drinking Bourbon on Christmas evening to only swing the hammer once AND use the word man.

So, I am pulling myself out of my post-amazingly large (and very delicious, thank you Mom;) Christmas dinner stupor to write this post. I planned on waiting until I got back to the N.C. coast, but since Burlin the tipsy, wizard carpenter commanded it, I will tell my recent Christmas story now.

I was in D.C. last weekend to see one of my favorite musicians, Rhett Miller (of Old 97s fame) at 

Black Cat and the show was amazing!!! Had a great suite at the Grand Hyatt, saw the White House Christmas tree, had a great dinner, saw Rhett, and stayed out into the early morning (3:00 am!) with friends. And while I truly couldn't afford to be away from work and present buying, I counted it as a little Christmas gift to myself and had a wonderful time. Even got together with my beautiful friend Elena P. who helped me speed-shop at Tysons Corner and nearly checked off my entire list in a blur. Plus, I bought myself a great pair of Pumas;-) And while they weren't a surprise when I unwrapped them this morning (have already worn them a few times) they made me happy.

So, anyway, I got home around midnight Sunday, did a little packing, and finally fell asleep sometime after 1:30am. Had to be up early and hit the road to be in Greensboro, NC to meet my friend and client Don for a lunch meeting. I left about an hour early so I could stop at Southern Seasons in Chapel Hill to buy a basket for Don's gift. I was work out, all hopped-up on coffee, caught in early morning Raleigh traffic, and on the phone trying to schedule three photo shoots, ad copy for two different ads, negotiate a contract, and taking notes (please don't try that while driving 80 mph;-). I know I looked down somewhere around Faison, N.C. and noticed I needed gas, but knew I had about 25-30 miles on reserve and would stop later. 

Later came in the far left lane of Interstate 40 when my little SUV lost power. Just slowed down and wouldn't respond to my pumping of the accelerator. It hit me--I'd forgotten to get gas. I WAS OUT OF GAS! and speeding down a bust highway. I checked the three lanes to my right and wrestled the steering wheel to take me across the lanes and up a convenient off-ramp. The SUV topped the ramp and limped about 40 yards until I slid it onto the shoulder. I WAS OUT OF GAS! In all my years of driving, I'd never run a car out of gas. Never! And there I was, on a minor exit, on an exceptionally cold morning, with nothing but office buildings around for at least a mile in either direction. The first thing that crossed my mind was that it was par for the course for my year-end: Laptop crash, loss of everything on it, BlackBerry mishap in which my trackball wouldn't stay in so I had to get a new one and AT&T couldn't transfer the saved info. on the old one to the new one, NOW I was sitting on the side of the road in an SUV with no gas on the way to a business meeting. 

I got out of the car, closed the door and took a long look up the road in both directions. As I was contemplating how far I would have to hike and deciding which direction to go and larger SUV came toward me from the exit ramp. It pulled up and the passenger side window came down. A smiling man leaned across the console and asked if I needed any assistance. I told him the story hoping he would offer to drop me at a nearby gas station. Instead, he offered to go and get the gas and bring it back to me. I, of course, accepted and watched him drive off then climbed back into my car to wait. 

Ten or so minutes passed. I pulled on a knit cap and wrapped my scarf around my neck in the metro-way I'd learned from walking around cold, windy, snowy D.C. when I lived there. As I did, a negative thought popped into my mind: Maybe he wouldn't come back. Maybe he stopped to be nice, but was late for work and, while he wanted to do the right thing, would keep on trucking and I'd still have to walk those few miles one way, get the gas, and walk the few miles back. ALL IN MY NEW PUMAS!  

I shook the thought from my mind. This guy had a genuine smile. He looked like a good guy and heck, he didn't have to stop when he saw me. I wasn't flagging him down or anything. He stopped because he was a good guy. Yep, he would be back soon with the gas. 

I got out of the car and did a walked around it once. Just cleared my head and took in some cold air to wake me up. As I made my way back to the driver's side I saw the same SUV coming up behind me. Genuinely Nice Guy waved as he pulled up. He then hopped out, went around behind his car and came back carrying a bright red plastic container with a bright yellow cap.

"Sorry it took so long," he said. "The first place I stopped didn't have gas cans, so I had to find another." Genuinely Nice Guy was apologizing to ME? I, of course, told him how silly it was for him to apologize. I apologized for ruining his morning. I think he tried to apologize for something else, but cut him off with an apology for making him apologize. 

He handed off the red container and I opened the gas tank and placed the nozzle into the tank, but quickly pulled it back as gasoline ran down the side of the car. The can's nozzle had a hard plastic nub onto which one was supposed to place the cap so as not to lose it. In our case, it was preventing the nozzle from getting into the small opening of the tank. All of Genuinely Nice Guy's work in vain. Not to mention I'd be late for that meeting. Nice guy just smiled and walked toward his SUV. He disappeared to its rear and a few minutes later reappeared.

"Hey, I've got these wire cutters. Wonder if they will work?" He proceeded to place them over the hard plastic nub and SNIP! It cut through it like butter. SNIP again! And the nub was gone. Number one: What are the chances the guy has a tool like that in his car? One of the FEW tools that could cut through hard plastic like butter? There was no way this was a coincidence. 

I tried the nozzle, it fit! So, I emptied the 2 gals. into the car with ease. Once I'd finished I put down the can and took out my business card. "Hi, my name is Dale." 

He stuck out his cold hand, "I'm Allan."

"Look Allan, if I can ever do ANYTHING for you, please let me know." He studied the card and asked what SeaChange did. I explained and he pocketed it. He made his way back to his SUV and I followed thanking him profusely. Being the genuinely nice guy, he played it all off. After he climbed into the driver's seat, he leaned out of his window and said, "Merry Christmas!" He started the car and he drove of waving. 

I know Allan was real, but I can't help believing it was a gift from God. A reminder that there are Fred Selfe-powered people on every street (and exit ramp) in the world. And it was a less-than-subtle reminder that this Christmas season is not about Puma's or new laptops or new BlackBerrys or material things of any make or model. Instead it's about doing what Allan did, and being selfless. It's about helping others. It's about giving, and giving, and giving, and giving, and

giving. 

So, thank you Allan. You made my year--put me fully into the Christmas spirit and saved me. And thank you God for the lesson. You're really good at that;-) Thank you, Timmy, for making me write this. Oh, and thank me for the Pumas--because, really, they are smokin' new shoes and I needed them;-) 

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas day and wish you a very prosperous 2009! 

Make it the year of BEING FRED SELFE!!