My Early Christmas Present - Pay it Forward

I had such a day.  I had to run an errand a few towns over, maybe a twenty minute drive each way.  Virginia is not that great about clearing snow during a storm.  I get onto the beltway and get stuck in traffic due to the plowers trying to clear the snow in the emergency lanes.  What should have been a twenty minute drive turned into close to an hour.  I take care of what I need to take care of, then get back onto the beltway to go to Costco.  They had finished the northbound lanes and started on the southbound lanes.  So I get stuck in the traffic all over again.  It took even longer this time around.  As I get close to Costco, I realize that I am very low on gas.  I decide to go to Costco first.  Once I leave Costco they closed off the gas station to plow the snow.  So, I drive down the street to find another gas station.  This is right next to a mall, so the traffic is awful.  I then get right next to the gas station, but can't make it and run out of gas.  I manage to pull over to a side road and get out of the traffic.  I walk through the snow to gas station.  They don't have a gas can and legally can't sell me gas.  So, I walk back to my car and call AAA, they tell me it is going to take three hours for them to get to me.  I manage to flag down some guy.  He tells me that he doesn't have a gas tank with him, but he works for the state DOT and will be right back.  About 10 minutes later he comes back with a gas can and gives me two gallons of gas.  He wanted to make sure their was nothing else wrong with my car and follows me to the gas station.  He then puts $20 worth of gas in my car.  I tried to pay him, but he told me to consider it an early Christmas gift, and I could pay him back by helping someone in need in the future.  I was having such a bad day.  By this point it had taken my five hours to do something that should have only taken an hour.  I was almost in tears.  This really made my day.  With everything that has been going on in the world of politics lately, I was really beginning to lose faith in people.  He made my day and confirmed my believe in the overall goodness in people. 

I hope you all pay it forward, it can make such a difference.

To the man who helped me today .........................THANKS, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO!!