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HeroicStories #839: In the Hearts of Mankind
Reaching more than 37,000 subscribers in 118 countries, this is...
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HeroicStories #839: 16 December 2011 www.HeroicStories.org
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--+-- This Story Originally Ran as #412: 27 May 2003 --+--
In the Hearts of Mankind Story Editor:
by Bruce McCormick Joyce Schowalter
Mississippi, USA
My wife, three young daughters and I were starting dinner at 7:00
p.m. on Oct. 21, 2001, when I smelled a hint of smoke. As my wife's
candles had caused this before, I wasn't alarmed, but started
looking around. Coming back from the kitchen the smell was stronger.
Suddenly my wife and I both noticed a thin haze near the ceiling of
the family room where we were eating.
Against everything I've been taught, I opened the laundry room door.
Two feet of black smoke rolled from the ceiling with a roaring fire
several feet away. (The fire could easily have been embedded in the
smoke, I was fortunate.)
Our small kitchen fire extinguishers were worthless against the
blaze; with a larger extinguisher we could have stopped it. I called
911 and cleared everyone out of the house.
Adrenaline flows and you feel like you're not watching reality. You
smell smoke. You hear the loud popping of things breaking inside as
the fire grows. You watch firemen climb onto the roof and cut holes
with chainsaws. As fire leaps from new holes it created in your
roof, a sick feeling grows in the pit of your stomach. What should
have been controllable is destroying your home.
In the midst of this surrealistic horror something incredible
happened. I have no explanation for what happened, as I'm reclusive,
not someone who associates easily with others. People from the
neighborhood started showing up with clothing. One family took our
daughters in. Another took in our two big Labrador dogs.
People we'd never seen brought us coats, a chair for my wife, food
to eat, a sweater for me. One family gave us a piece of paper with a
prepaid hotel reservation -- something I'd not even thought of.
Over several weeks more families -- some we knew, most we didn't
know -- prepared dinner and brought it over. They lent and donated
furniture for our rental house, gave us clothing, provided toys for
our children, and some included us in their prayers.
Unknown individuals and groups took up collections and sent us
money. Though so very embarrassing to accept, it was so very
welcome, for we were not in the best financial state, and our
insurance firm wasn't easy to work with. We had to bear implications
that we could've started the fire ourselves from the insurance
company investigators.
I learned what emotional shock means. Often I would cry just
describing the situation to people. I had no comprehension of the
kindness of friends and strangers until this happened. I had done
nothing to deserve this kindness. Their outpouring was from their
hearts, and at their expense -- just to help. I can't thank them all
personally, for some I never met, but I am so thankful for them,
they were our angels.
I have learned a lesson of human spirit and what is in the hearts of
mankind: a lesson to be remembered forever.
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Our last story "Following a Hunch" (#838) described a day when a
group of carolers made just one more stop to cheer the lonely...
only to learn later that their visit had prevented a suicide.
Rayna from New Zealand had a similar experience: "Several years ago
I met a woman tangentially, with no reason to ever see her again.
But a few months after meeting her, this strong urge to call her
came to me. I had zero reason to speak with her, but I knew I was
having this feeling for a reason so I called her. The phone rang and
rang for the longest time. I felt I couldn't hang up. She finally
did answer the phone. She told me she'd had a razor blade at her
wrist and was going to slash her wrists, but when the phone rang she
had a sudden flash of her young son. I still have goose bumps when I
think of it."
Miep in New Mexico wrote: "That story was especially powerful.
'Merry Christmas, I'm divorcing you,' is not a kind strategy or good
timing. It never fails to amaze me how unfeeling people can be. This
story thankfully describes the opposite: I'm glad this group was
there at the right moment to give this woman support." (Joyce adds:
My friend who's a hairdresser says it is *remarkable* to her how
often her customers tell her that news of divorce is delivered on
holidays, birthdays or anniversaries.)
Doug in British Columbia, Canada sent in a comment on "Just Come
Back Later" (#837), Guy Slater's story about a restaurant's
permission to return to pay his family's bill. Doug writes: "At our
lavender farm we are 'cash only', so we occasionally extend this
type of 'instant credit'. For us, any risk is still better than
paying a rather large amount of money to the debit/credit card
providers annually for the 'convenience' of customers. (Most people
haven't added up the real cost of these gimmicks that make it easier
to spend!) Last summer, a very hurried customer showed up to
purchase a gift. He was invited to a wedding at a lakeside lodge in
our village, had just flown in from Vancouver, but had no cash. We
let him take his gift on promise to pay. Needless to say, we got a
cheque about 10 days later with a great thank-you note, saying yes
the newlyweds loved the lavender gift!" (The full version of this
story is on our archives: http://heroicstories.com/archives.html .)
Let us know what you think of today's story! We're also curious, are
there any stories you remember, even from years ago, that you'd like
to see again? Do let us know, even if you don't remember all the
details or have the actual title. Thanks. And be sure to send in
your *own* story, we look forward to reading it.
Joyce Schowalter, Networker in Chief
*** and Pat in Washington
Co-Conspirators to Make the World a Better Place
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