Truth About Real Help

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

What do you imagine “real help” will look like?

Our trip is on the horizon!
As bit of a “worry-wart”
(Mama’s term, prefaced by “Don’t-be-such-a”) 
I wonder / worry about logistics.

Where will I need help?

What I know in my current life-stage is
I can Ask for Help.
And when help is offered, I can Accept it.

Sometimes it is right there.
Sometimes you wait a bit.

Like this—
Bike ride across U.S.  CA -> FL,
There was a sloping uphill-tunnel bikers needed to use
Along with all cars and trucks on highway.
For our safety, Trip Leaders had arranged for
Highway Patrol officers to be 
Front and back of cyclist group.

At rendezvous spot, we waited.

My picture:
Patrol car will arrive.
Driver, tall & lean, looking like Gary Cooper,
Steps out of car, assuring all. 
He, in front,
Deputy, in back, will look out for us.

What actually happened:
We waited.

Finally, in pulled a beat-up flat-bed truck
Dirty, still loaded with construction equipment.
Driver, butter-ball round, very-young man,
Stepped out, saying “I’ll follow you through.”

I expected to be led!

Truck pulled behind last rider (me),
Switched on the giant flashing arrow
Pointing traffic into different lane.
Bikers had all the protection needed.

That help came later, less dramatic,
Different than I expected.
Exceptionally helpful and appreciated,
Effective with rear-guard coverage.
I learned that real help 
Can come in unpictured forms.

I’m sure that will be the case in our travels.
Help, requested or offered, will smooth out bumps.

Good thing for me to remember.
Ask for Help,
And be open to unpictured forms!

Hugs,
Lin

Limerick:

When you need some help for proceeding,
When what turns up next is exceeding,
Just what you can do,
It is time that you,
Request what’s required for succeeding.