Monday, September 05, 2011

Helping=Happier (For Tys on Ice: Special Re-Re-Edited For Content Edition)

I spent the day up in the mountains confusing and scaring off fish. I am not a good fisherman. What I am good at is helping others, and that is just what I did today. My brother and I (my brother is the only person that will hang out with me for more than a couple of hours these days) were off the beaten path in the mountains on a rough trail. We were in his Ford Exploder, which has four-wheel drive, but is not that great of a wheeler. I would have much rather been in my truck, save for the fact that today's outing would have cost me over $60 in gas. Anyway, we get to this lake and start to get out; this is when I start hearing tires spinning, smoke, and some dude frantically shouting "I AM SO (see bottom of post)!!!"

I walk up the trail to see this two-wheel drive truck with its front end down into some trees, the undercarriage hung up on a boulder, and it's ass end sticking up. Somehow this guy and his wife thought that turning around in this narrow and treacherous area was a better idea than simply backing down. I helped where I could by giving him advice and helping him carry it out--using a jack, branches, and flat rocks. It all seemed promising, but there simply weren't enough bodies to help. My brother didn't have any tow straps, plus there wasn't any way we could get in there without getting hung up ourselves. This is when I decided to go for a walk and see if there was anybody else around to help. Fortunately, there was a bunch of people coming in a five-seater buggy.

I got their attention and talked to the guys. They really weren't interested in helping. I was a bit surprised because they had their boys with them. Aren't dads supposed to be teaching their sons how to be good men? It took me about five minutes to persuade these guys to go a little out of their way and help. Once we all got up there, we tried and failed a few times, but with our collective minds and muscles, we finally got this poor guy and his wife out of the trees and off of this boulder. This proves the old adage correct in that many hands make light work.

The couple thanked us all and after the others left the guy, Bryce, thanked me especially. I kind of got the feeling that Bryce was a lot like me, in that, I don't ask for help that often and when I usually do it isn't with the words "help me". No, it is usually someone overhearing me say, in a figurative way, "I AM SO (see bottom of post)!" It still amazes me how many people would rather keep on going, so you have to just decide that you are going to be one of those people who stops and helps. It's the only way people like me are going to get unstuck. It's just nice that I could help this time. It took my mind off of my troubles for a bit.

10 comments:

Christielli said...

I like helping people too. :) Glad that you could help those people, and make fishing a bit more pleasant.

Jules said...

Love this story and I love that there really are helpful people in the world. I also love that for a moment, however brief, you felt good.

The Grunt said...

Christielli~ I thrive on being able to help people. Usually, I am just told that I need help:D

Jules~ The world is a much better place when people do good for others: fact.

Tys on Ice said...

it will come around grunts...but i bet u dont give a fuck abt that...

Nessa Locke said...

I started to go off into a rant about those dads not wanting to help. Man, that really pissed me off. But it got to be a bit too long, so I backed it up and started over.
I liked your first line. That's the kind of thing I do to fish. And I'm glad you helped those people out of their thing. It was a very "good guy" thing to do.

tys said...

did u just edit the swear word? Fucked sounds so much more better...it has a wholesome feel to it...F'ed sounds like fedex with a hiccup..

coming back on the subject...i owe a lot to those random strangers who has helped me get my car out of tricky situations and have left with just a wave ... those are my versions of super heroes....

and u have just clocked in...

The Grunt said...

Tys~ I am moving forward whether life gives a shit or not.

Nessa Roo~ I am the "Fish Startler".

Tys~ Yeah, I know it sounded better, but I had a dream one night about my mom and I looked at the post the next day and felt like I'd clean it up for her. But, in case anybody was wondering, the guy was saying "fuck" like a migrating goose honks. Just for having me explain myself, I am going to change it again.

Jules said...

Wow! Now I can say I've seen a man get flacked by a donkey. I never thought I'd say I saw that. Two things. Why did that guy have such huge gonch? And why was he in there with his pants down in the first place?

jason said...

rec'd +1

tys said...

:) thats me beaming