Model Citizenship

It was a cold, windy night - chilly by Southern California standards (about 45 F). Low clouds hung in the air - framing a faint sense of doom… My girlfriend was meeting her friend for a yoga class - so we went to the gym together. We pulled into the parking lot and searched out an easy space to get in and out of. We opted for a spot relatively near the center of the lot…

It was a routine night at the gym - nothing special or peculiar to discuss. There was an average crowd, easy access to the equipment, and a Lakers game to watch… The story occurred as we left the gym and made our way back to the truck…

The wind had picked up a bit since we entered the gym - probably 20-25 mph. It felt even colder now and we hurried to the truck to get out of the cold. As we arrived at the truck, Renee pointed out the first predator - lurking deviously in the dark. As we looked around, we noticed several more lot sharks although displaying much less threatening postures…

Struggling with the items I was carrying, I searched for the proper button on the remote to unlock the doors. As I shuffled my towel, water bottle, etc. to allow for a precise action, Renee pointed my attention to the suspect lot shark. It was moving now - gaining courage from the strong, chilly gusts of winds.

With yet another strong gust, the lot shark changed directions - controlled by the wind that was driving it, this metal monster gained momentum. Renee took notice of this sudden aggressive move and suddenly realized the true malicious intent of this parking-lot predator - it was now perfectly aligned to broadside a brand new Jaguar XJ. Not a clean t-bone, but an angled glancing blow that was sure to leave quite the memento for the new owner. Just as Renee mentioned the new risk to the young cat, the lot shark lurched forward - seemingly aware that its strike window was quickly closing. Before I could respond to Renee’s concern, she bolted into action - sprinting toward the point of attack without concern for her own safety.

All that stood between the lot shark and a soon-to-be dent in the Jag’s side was the car’s shinny new finish. It appeared Renee’s efforts were going to be just short of heroic. As the distance between the three forces rapidly closed, horrible thoughts raced through my head. How would I console her should she end up with a tic-tac-toe grid on her forehead (resulting from a head-on collision with the savage cart)???

With just a few feet separating the lot shark and a parking-lot initiation for the Jag, Renee lunged forward in a final attempt to make it there on time. Risking life and limb, she threw herself between the cart and the Jag, stopping the cart’s hungry metal edges mere inches from the car’s bright shinny side!!!

After guiding the metal monster to a non-threatening position, she walked back to the truck. Momentarily shaken from her ordeal, Renee climbed into the truck satisfied with her mediation. An unsung hero in the eyes of the Jag’s owner, but definitely a Model Citizen in mine!

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