Leaving the Island of Long.

We left Middle Island around 1:20PM. Listened to Dave Matthews Band's new album. Michael really likes it too.

It was a nice day. Not too hot. Not too cold. Partly sunny with white, puffy clouds. A good day for driving.

Hit a little traffic, but not bad. We took the belt to Staten Island and then on to Jersey. A few minutes after arriving in Jersey, we were on an off ramp, about to head west and saw a car on the side of the road. There were three people standing along side of it. One was a woman, about 30 years old, with her hands together like she was praying. I could hear her thinking, "God, please someone stop and help us. Please. Please. Please." There was a shoulder, so I safely pulled over.

I rolled down the passenger side window and asked "what do you need?" The woman, all out of breath from running to my car, said, "water." The hood of their car was propped open. Maybe it was the radiator. "How many bottles do you need?" She answered, "two, maybe three." I asked Michael to reach into the big cooler next to him and get the bottles. I told him also to get a 4th one "for drinking."

I then asked her "where are you from?" and she said "Nigeria." I told her how I have a friend from Nigeria named Rakeya (who has a son with autism and is one of the most wonderful people I have ever met). The woman said "thank you and god bless" and I said, "you too".

We drove away. The whole episode lasted about 2 minutes (most of it was waiting for Michael to get the bottles). For about 10 seconds I got scared when the two men came up to my window and I thought, "oh crap, why did I stop the car?" But, sometimes I just can't let fear stop me from helping someone.

I just filled that cooler with about 10 bottles of water a few hours before. What I gave her cost about 50 cents. But, I just hope it was enough to get their car started.

Last year when we were driving through Montana, I stopped to help people on the side of the road. That time it was a bus full of Senior Citizens from North Dakota. One of the woman asked me "why did you stop to help us?" I laughed and said, "because I'm from New York." I don't know exactly what I meant by that.

I guess I have this weird feeling that you get what you give in this life. And at some point, YOU will be the person on the side of the road praying. One time I lost my wallet in the parking lot of Target. There was $400 in cash in it. Some nice person returned it, with all the money intact.

As I drove away I felt lucky to have a cooler full of water with me at that exact moment in time. It felt like a good omen. Like the rest of my trip would be filled with good karma.