I was recently speaking with some friends and the topics floated around like they normally do. We finally spun into accomplishments and major things each of us have done. As each of us look back on our lives there are things we have achieved and successes we are proud of.
I would like to tell you something I did that may have been the most important and long lasting of any. My family and group of friends love to camp. We go to parks and national forests, friends get-a-ways and even in our back yard. In fact one of the local county parks uses our camp sight as the background picture for their web site. One night we had just finished cooking for everyone over a controlled fire and had a feast. The sun was down and we built up the campfire so it was going pretty good. Many of the campers were stuffed and sitting in deep chairs and settling down for good company and conversations. I was standing with my back to the fire talking with someone and enjoying the evening. I sometimes refer to having eyes in the back of my head or getting the ‘spider-sense tingling’ that something is wrong. What in memory seems like the same time, I heard alarm and excitement from the group of people sitting close to the fire. It quickly rose to a definite panic. Not really knowing what the concern was, I turned around facing the camp fire. I saw that my youngest granddaughter – very young at the time – had been standing near the fire facing someone in the chairs and did not realize she had backed up too far and had tripped backwards into the center of the fire pit. People watching were unable to get out of their seats and you could see the panic in their eyes. I turned quickly and reached down. I grabbed her shirt in a bunch with one fist and pulled her as hard and as fast as I could. I slammed her into my chest and gave her a great big hug before she even realized what had happened.
The group relief was ear shattering and was more alarming to her than me plucking her out of the pit. I think back and consider escape from the amount of pain and suffering for a life time to come. I thought for a while that this is why I was put on this planet – my work here is done. Of course it is not and there will be many more stories to tell, but maybe none that made the world a better place like that one quick knee-jerk response.
I would like to hear your most remembered action that made a huge difference to someone else. Let’s celebrate and share those accomplishments in this post.
MidiMike 
You’re awesome!
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Ha! Just fortunate and a bit lucky. Thank you!
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That is a wonderful story although it makes me feel sad for myself, or maybe more accurately about myself, I can’t think of anything I have done that has made a difference…. 😦
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Thank you as always. you might be selling yourself short. As in other comments, you may not know the impact you had on someone’s life. the impressions you make on other may not be as dramatic or noticeable as my example, but that does not mean you had no positive impact. Knowing you, I am sure you make a difference thought you may not be aware of the circumstances. Don’t be sad. Life is full of surprises!
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I believe that you’ve done something for someone without knowing it, maybe a kind gesture that made an huge impact and saved his/her day. Today we minimize our actions too much, a smile can be so much for someone, I believe in those small actions of love and care. Those are to be taken seriously. You are also important for this world 🙂
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Your response time and quick reflexes were crucial at that time.
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Indeed. I consider myself to be lucky!
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sooo nice of you to do that..
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Right time and the right place! I did not think, I just reacted, so hard to ‘take credit’, but I am positive of the impact that few seconds made. I appreciate your visit!
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Your welcome..I am enjoying your work..
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Glad to hear that. I appreciate it a bunch.
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Wow, that’s huge! What a terrific and brave thing you did. I’m sure I can’t top that.
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I think so too. She will not remember anything about it and that is the best blessing of all! I bet if you think about it and check around, you will have a story for me that will top this for someone you know.
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Okay, if anything comes to mind I’ll let you know, but I have a feeling that if I ever did anything nearly as heroic it would come to me instantly. Yes, good thing she doesn’t remember. That could be the stuff of nightmares.
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Very brave thing you did for the baby.
I didn’t know that I helped my girlfriend who suffers from depression from committing suicide last year. She told my mom that. She told my mom that me and my son are the reason that she is alive. She said that I was consistent and persistent to make sure that she was okay and asking did she need me to bring anything by. Calling, texting and emailing her positive quotes and letting her know that she was loved helped her realize that her life matters. I as so surprised to hear that. But, it is true that God puts people in your life for a reason, season or lifetime.
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I do not consider myself to be brave, though I appreciate your comment and I do not take it lightly, so thank you! you have a great topic. So often we think we have no impact or we are not doing anything special until we learn how life-changing our actions turned out to be later in life. Many times we think we are helpless and there is nothing we can do that will change things and your story demonstrates how simple acts of kindness can have far reaching results to those in difficult times. I hope your story inspires others. thank you so much for your time and comment.
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Beautiful you! ❤
The only thing that comes to mind as far as my changing someone's life is the story of our beloved rottie, Mr. Thor. And really I was only backup. The ones who changed his life was my husband and a friend.
Mr.Thor was picked up by animal control in Dec. and languished in a far from perfect 'Dog Prison' til June. No one claimed him. No one wanted to adopt him. In June, they needed to make room and he was to be put down. The owner of the kennel told a friend of mine about this rottie's fate and asked if she knew of anyone that may want to take him. She emailed me and after conferring with my husband, we arranged to go see him.
What a mess he was! Smelt to high heaven, dust, dirt blowing everywhere every time he wagged his tail (which was continually). Sores all down his one side, left eye weeping something. BUT he had the biggest smile on his face and not only his tail was continually wagging, his whole body was vibrating with happiness. His version of 'Putting his Best Paw forward' I think.
He was a sorry looking mess. Thinking back now, a rare diamond in the rough.
My husband asked if we could bring him back if it didn't work out.
They said 'No'.
So he said without hesitation, 'I think he'll make a good dog, we'll take him.'
He has been a wonderful, sweet, loving, exasperating, juvenile delinquent ever since. Someone that fulfils our little family and I think often how lucky we are to have him.
I will always be thankful to my husband and my friend for bringing him into our lives.
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Thanks again Mike for your fantastic stories and the inspiration you give others to tell their stories 🙂 Here’s one of mine….
…long ago, in early 90’s, I was working at a beautiful sandy place next by the Gulf of Bothnia, the sea between northern parts of Sweden and Finland. It was midsummer and my family had just moved to Finland and I had no new friends yet so I spent time working instead at the popular camping site Kalajoki. I was a waitress and had an eye on the outdoor tavern at a beach restaurant.
One day working in the kitchen I heard a noise inside from the restaurant and jumped out to see what was happening. I found a man lying on the hard stone floor and shaking. I asked the people surrounding the man what had happened and they said he had an epileptic seizure. Quickly without thinking, I grabbed my filthy apron and folded it with the clean side out as a pillow and put it under the man’s head so he didn’t injured himself on the hard surface, then I rolled him to his side so his tongue wouldn’t slip back and stop his breathing. People had already called for an ambulance by that time, but it hurt me so much to see him shaking hard against that floor.
I was just a young high school girl with no experience of similar, but I remembered what we were taught at school – theoretically – so I suppose I handled instinctively what we were told 🙂 I wasn’t afraid, just concerned over the man. Still today I wonder how I managed it all, with all those adults surrounding me and observing what I was doing. The man was taken care by the paramedics and I hope he did get well after all, we never heard of him after that.I remember my feelings, I was so glad to do at least something for him, felt the joy of helping. I hope I can do it again if necessary.
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Wow! My heart stopped when I got to the part of your granddaughter. Thank God you were there and knew what to do. I love the idea of your post too. What have I done? I do a lot of little things. I give out love buttons and cards to strangers. One thing comes to mind: when I was in the hospital last year there was a girl who had been there for months. She cut herself so she always were long sleeved sweatshirts, even though it was hot. She had a kindness to her and a love that I could see. I got a glimpse of her scars one day because her sleeve moved up, and I saw thick raised scars and I felt sorrow for her. I listened to her and she listened to me. She was funny too. Sometimes she would get angry and have an outburst, but I could see her soul. Her father came to visit her every day; I told him I loved her and he said everyone does. She didn’t express physical affection, hugs etc. On the day she was leaving and waiting for her parents, she was getting angry. I sat with her and tried to keep her calm; I kept telling her to stay calm or they will make you stay another day (which they did when she had an outburst). I kept looking at the clock and helping her pass the time. Finally her parents came. The process to leave takes time and she wanted to lay down. I went to my room and I wrote her a letter and I told her how much I loved her and how awesome she was. I wished her healing. I told her my life was blessed because I met her. I encouraged her to keep going, she was only in her 20s. I went to her room to give it to her and she had fallen asleep, so I put it on her desk. I didn’t know if I would get to say goodbye to her. I went to the cafeteria for lunch, and while I was on line she came right in to me and gave me the biggest hug ever; ok I’m crying now. She squeezed me and thanked me. I hope she felt my love and I hope she knew I cared about her and I believed in her. I will never forget her or that hug.
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The affect we have on others can be amazing. I am glad you were there for her. It sounds like she will need help from time to time – as we all do. thank you for sharing that story. All of these events are very important.
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When it comes to interfering with awful outcomes, right action is properly praised. I wish I could have been there to applaud, were I not capable of doing the rescue myself.
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Thank you. I was in the right place as it were, thanks to good old ‘spidey senses’!
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Hello Mike, First I must say I felt the “fright”, or terror that took place there with your grand daughter, and I was quite taken aback by it. I am glad it turned out good!
I know it stays with you, but you are blessed and so was that little “baby”!
When I was eleven, my younger sister and I travelled to school together usually. There were days I used to tell her to go ahead, I’d catch up. Well, this particular morning I got through the gate to find her running back towards the house, She told me this man dressed as a “vicar”, rode his bike unto the pavement ans was grabbing her. So now fear, anger, anxiety, and all that goes with it took me over!
We went to school but in the evening we made a plan; she would walk ahead and I’d be hiding behind the trees following her!
Then low and behold, who came riding up to her. The man on the bike dressed as a vicar. When he saw me he was trying to get away, my sister was screaming and I wrestled him to the floor while I was screaming too!
Everyone came out of their houses that morning and this man who always helped my dad prune the apple trees ran out with a cricket bat. The women looked after my sister and me but I wanted to kick the hell out of him!
After giving him a hiding the police arrived, my dad had to come home from work, and I’ve never answered so many questions in my life.
He was charged with attempted kidnapping, and assault! Our neighbour who beat him with the cricket bat, never got into trouble.
My dad was a little angry and when he was at the station wanted to see this man.
When he went to court, we were told that he was not from London where we lived, but from Staffordshire!
He escaped from prison and had been on the run for several months!
From that day, realising the seriousness of what happened, I had this kind of edgy, nervy feeling, going to school!
Not even the celebrations meant anything to me, because my sister could have been snatched!
They found his lair, two streets away from where we lived, so he could see us as we played in our back garden! Ahhh. . . . . . . . .. . !
My mum had died a year earlier so we had to be pretty independent!
Anyway, that’s my true story!
Thanks for visiting and reading my poetry while I was away, I’ve been in hospital three times and will have to return so I take each day as it comes!
Best wishes!
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this is a great story. It is a good thing that you and others were able to prevent a terrible experience. Take care and hope you are doing better. Please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing.
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Good catch mate! Thanks for sharing. I remember having a very similar situation, when I saved a close family member from what would have almost certainly been a fatal road accident. One of my first thoughts was ok, a major karmic score on the family tree was settled there. The other time where I saved a drunken depressed guy who was standing on a platform in Tokyo ready to jump in front of a train, and I remember thinking that this job that I worked at and hated for months was worth every moment of stress and drudgery just to have been in the right place at the right time to have intercepted that guy, and all the regret and bitterness just faded away and I felt this amazing sense of serenity with everything like I have never felt before. With that sense of accomplishment I left that shitty job soon after. i still wonder about that guy from time to time.
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Literally! Very good stories, and glad you were there for both situations. You describe the feeling well. Somehow we forget our own frailties and on some cases mortality when there is a clear need. The world is a better place with you in it. Even the thought that you endured unpleasant jobs or other pain full situations so you could be I the right place at the right time to help shows how much doing something like that for others can make us feel complete. Thank you so much.
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You’re welcome. Yes indeed, it’s the kind of thing that gives you the sense of a life well lived. Many thanks for your thoughts!
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Hi midimike. Incredible story hope she was unharmed. Thank you for liking my poems My Death! and Street Light. Best Wishes. The Foureyed Poet.
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Thanks! She just thought I picked her up to hug her and did not really know what happened at the time. I met with family over the holidays and that story came up. She knows what happened now and understands her trip could have been a lot worse. We all get wiser, and she is a pretty sharp little girl. Always.
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The “hug” of a lifetime; fabulous. What great memories she’ll have of you. Thanks for the follow. 🙂
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Great summary. Thank you for the comment. I am sure it is a story she will hear for years to come. You are quite welcome.
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Wow, I couldn’t imagine where this story was going and then my heart almost stopped when I realized where your little granddaughter wandered. Thank God you were there.
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I do count my blessings. I often joke about my “spider senses tingling”, but without that awareness this could have turned out totally different. Thank you for the visit and comments.
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Christmas love
spreads joyfully to
friends, new and old, as
natural as mountain streams
flow under
ice and snow
still moving, to join.
Harmony
comes from sharing a
round table. Buddha
Mohammad,
Jesus, Confucius,
Abraham, Gandhi
and Luther invite a pope
to break bread
under one God
that all pray to here
in Gwangju,
there in Amsterdam,
and Davao, where the
hunt for food
and water reverts to old
ways, not the
usual Christmas,
but children scramble
for goodies
like coconuts, fruit, rare meat
while we feast
on turkey, baked so
well, spring rolls folded
and rolled by
hands so delicate you can’t
imagine
what they’ve done. Merry
Christmas everyone.
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I am not capable or qualified to reply to that, but I will add, “And Peace On Earth”.
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Wow, Mike. I am just reading this now. Your presence of mind–or maybe your reflexive action–saved a precious life. I am stunned. Thanks be to God.
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Well, thanks! We still talk about that at get-to-gethers and camping trips. Things could have turned out very differently. Like watching videos of dads catching their kids seconds before impact. I wish we would have captured that on video!
Thank you so much for your visit and your comments.
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