Neighborly neighbors

As my wife backed her car out of the garage, she discovered that her right front tire was flat. She needed to run some important errands, so she took my car. The first thing I did was read the Owner’s Manual for her car to find out where the jack and spare tire were located. While the jack was up to the job, it was flimsy and difficult to operate. On top of that, it was very hot. As I was struggling to jack up the car while sweating profusely, a neighbor, who I really didn’t know, walked over and asked me if I would like him to bring his heavy-duty floor-jack over to do the job. I was so excited, I almost hugged him. Not only did he bring his jack over, he actually helped me change the tire and the job was finished in no time. I thanked over and over and the next day I took him a 12-pack of his favorite beer. We talked a bit when the job was finished, and I learned we’ve been neighbors for 22 years! The lesson here is that if I had taken the time to get to know him years ago, I could have asked for his help up front. I would also have learned that Pete is a very kind and caring person.