NOV 22, 12 .. SIR .. THIS SIR IS ALABAMA ..

It was yesterday, Wednesday  Morning .. November the 21st, 2012 .. Patti and I had rolled out of Cincinnati, Ohio at 9:30PM the evening before headed South for New Orleans .. some 870 or so miles stretched out before us in the dark of night as we slowly pulled away from Chad and Cori’s home .. a ‘tad’ tired from driving all night .. we were stopped in Hartselle, Alabama, to take a break and to get gasoline for our GMC Suburban we call ‘Our Black Beauty’ .. we had just driven 422 miles after we crossed  the Ohio River from Cincinnati into Covington, Kentucky, then drove South and West through Kentucky and Tennessee into Alabama ..

Behind me at the gas pumps was a man with the hood of his automobile raised and he was peering under the hood .. occupied with his business ..

Crossing several lines of gasoline pumps .. a man appeared and joining the man behind me under the hood of his automobile .. the second gentleman quietly asked the gentleman behind me if he needed any assistance ..

After the incident .. I confirmed that the second gentleman was just acting on his own and did not work at the gasoline station .. at first I thought he was an employee of the gasoline station simply doing his job ..

The owner of the car behind me assured his benefactor that he was just checking his oil and hoses and was in no need of assistance ..

When the other gentleman had left I said to the man behind me .. “That was really nice of him to come over and to ask if you needed assistance..”

His reply to me will be frozen in time into my memory .. looking directly into my eyes .. he said in a measured tone of voice .. with some intensity ..

“Sir .. This Sir is Alabama .. and here in Alabama we try to assist others !” ..

Whew ! .. IF only we all .. in all places .. would adopt this attitude !

As we visited at some length .. I learned that the man behind me was  a Pastor .. so his life work is indeed assisting others .. but not necessarily so his benefactor .. nor (skeptic that I can be) did they know one another ..

When I was in professional automobile racing back in the late 1960s into the early 1970s .. I lived and I worked full time down here in the deep South .. and while I worked in Georgia and in South Carolina and not in Alabama .. I do know a bit about the kind folks who live down here .. ah-h-h not all of them reek of the perfume of kindness towards others ..  

On one of the racing teams I was associated with .. two brothers .. lived and slept in the same home and in the same bedroom for (at that time) thirty six (36) years .. and these two brothers had not spoken so much as one single word to the other during that 36 years .. dating back to a rivalry over a member of the opposite sex! .. and the Hatfields and the McCoys will confirm that not all here are of the ilk of the man above .. but what a really special memory I will carry with me ..

“Sir .. This Sir is Alabama .. and here in Alabama we try to assist others !”