Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Purposeful Persuasion 7/08/09

Knowing what must be done does away with fear.

Rosa Parks
...............................................
Good day. I hope you can read this posting, because I still can't.
------------------------------------------------------------
This is a true story, told to me by the two people involved. I will try faithfully to reconstruct as much of it as I can remember.

Many years ago I was visiting my Aunt Emily at her place in upstate New York. While I was there Emily had invited this couple over for dinner. She told me the woman had been crippled for about 25 years, but that her husband would take her out in her wheelchair during the nice weather, they still went places and they had a fascinating story to tell. When they arrived I could see that she was indeed in a wheelchair and he was pushing her into Emily's house. I also noted that they were an elderly couple. After dinner Emily coaxed them to tell me the story of the burning house.

They had been living in a remote place down a country road. He drove home one afternoon to find that the house was on fire. He rushed inside and everything was burning, hot cinders were flying everywhere, pieces of the wall were braking off and the place was think with smoke, He rushed through the flames into the bedroom where his wife was lying unconscious in the bed, The room was full of smoke. It was painfully hot. A burning cinder had landed on the bed and a sheet was burning, He threw the sheet off, picked up his wife and carried her through the flaming house to a field across the road, where he stretched her out on the ground. Then he drove three miles to the nearest neighbor to ask them to call the fire department and an ambulance, which they did. He then drove back to be with his wife who was still unconscious. Soon fire trucks arrived and went to work on the fire. After that came an ambulance. When he saw the ambulance he picked up his wife and took her over to it, explained to the attendants what had happened. They put her on a stretcher and took her to the hospital,

He stayed until the fire was out but the house was destroyed. Then he went to the hospital where his wife was sitting up in bed wide awake.

She told me that when the bedroom was filling up with smoke she called for him but he wasn't there. She said she knew he would be back sooner or later. She said she must have passed out, when she woke up in the hospital she didn't now where she was. She was dizzy.and had a headache. She was glad to see him come into the hospital room. She was relieved that he was okay.

They had lost everything. A neighbor took them in and very soon he had found another place for them to live.

I asked him if he was frightened of the fire when he went into the house. He said no he was only thinking about getting his wife out of there.

It's an amazing story. But here's the most remarkable part. I asked him when all this happened. He said "Just last year." He was 78. His wife was 74.

Vagabond Journeys
_______________________
Look up. Things are looking up.
************************

SUMMER QUIZ

This is not a contest.



A young man out west just took home 88 million dollars from the lottery.



Whether you play the lottery or not, if you suddenly had 88 million dollars, or the equivalent of whatever your currency is, what are the first three things you would do with it?



You have all summer to answer if you wish.

7 responses so far.



DB

9 comments:

Big Mark 243 said...

That was an awesome story! For me, it was very timely!!

Coy said...

Sometimes you just know what must be done.

Ken Riches said...

Shows how strong love can be, or how strong it can make you :o)

Beth said...

Neat story, very sweet. :)

Anne said...

I guess LOVE is timeless and a devotion and commitment oversees danger. Wonderful story DB Anne

Anonymous said...

DB, since you can't read your own journal you have no way of proof reading it.
Had a couple of typos today that spell check would not check. "...wall were braking off and the place was think with smoke,...
It was a neat story and at my age, of 78,I am not sure I could pull off a rescue of this sort.
OK, if I won the lottery I would take you out luncj again and have the crab cakes. I would also leave you with a couple of books that I am sure you would leaf through quickly.
Then I would invite a group of our blogger friends to spend week with us so wwe could all enjoy each others company. Maybe even lease a cruise ship so Linda would be sure to come.
I would become one of the most generous persons in this area.
It would be fun spreading the cash around to others who have a need. That would make me happy.
Hope you are enjoying this wonderful day here in PA, Bill

Linda's World said...

Amazing story about your aunt's friends. If I won 88 million dollars; 1. build a new house for my daughter & family. One that was totally wheelchair accessible for her, so she could be in the whole house instead of just three rooms like she's been for the last 7 years. Then a new place for my son & of course for myself. 2. Donate money to many worthy charities 3.Throw a giant all expenses paid party for my Blooger friends. Envelopes with lots of money would be handed out at the door to each guest. Linda in Washington
I love that Bill would lease me a cruise ship. What a guy !!!






LOL, Bless Bill's heart!

betty said...

wow! what a story! remarkable strength he had; thanks for sharing this story DB

betty

Silver said...

now, isn't that true love??