There was to be nothing special about this ride: A quick workout on my road bike out towards Sewickley, a brief stop for water, then home again in time to shower and freshen up for a Friday night with the boys.

I parked my car at Ingomar Methodist Church and began pedaling, winding through the roads of Ingomar while thinking about the coming weekend.

Suddenly, a sharp jolt immediately brought me back to the present. I had overrun some debris along Rochester Road and immediately knew something was wrong, as my back tire seemed to skid out and absorb much more shock from the asphalt. Unclipping from my pedals and observing what I had done, I found that my back tire was completely deflated. I had no means of repairing the tire, no phone, and no way to contact any friends about my situation.

After running my options, I realized that I faced something of a predicament. I could either take off my biking shoes and walk the distance back to my car, or I could try to catch a lift. Since daylight was fading and I had informed my parents that I would be back by a certain time, I decided to stick out my thumb and try my luck with any one of the passing cars.

I would be lying if I said that I was not a little nervous the first time I stuck out my thumb. Like everyone, I had heard stories in the news of hitchhikers meeting the wrong people on the road, and I was slightly hesitant to do what I was about to do. Yet I figured that my chances of being harmed in Wexford were much lower than they would be in other parts of the country, and I figured I could always just deny a ride if my gut feeling was off.

The first person to pull over could not fit my bike in the trunk of the car, and after a slightly embarrassing interlude I thanked him for the offer but could not take it. A driver of a pickup truck named Josh then noticed my situation and offered to help, and after telling him where I needed to go we were off. A short while later I had arrived back at my car safe and sound and thanked Josh for kindly going out of his way to help me.

Now, many readers might be wondering if there is a point to this story, and there is. I am in no way encouraging hitchhiking, as it can possibly pose dangers and other serious consequences to a person (particularly to people in high school).

Yet I was still amazed at the willingness of others to help a person in need, and while bad things certainly can happen to people, I am convinced that the world is not as murderous and chaotic as it is often made out to be. 

When people hear of others hitchhiking, their immediate reactions are often based on worry and trepidation. Such feelings are not entirely unwarranted. I would certainly be wary of any stranger offering me a ride anywhere, and I have subsequently made sure my phone is charged to minimize the odds of such a situation occurring again.

But it is also important to remember that the world is not filled with murder and mayhem, and we should not forget that acts of kindness between people occur every day. It’s just as Mark Twain said, “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”