The Alberta way

Driving back from Cochrane yesterday, grandkids in the back, taught me something:  I will never complain about young men in big trucks again!

The grands were sugared up from a couple of birthday parties, so we know what that means:  Squabbling, yelling and fighting.  Hoping to calm things down, I pulled off on a deserted side road to deliver a minor tongue-lashing about safety, no fooling around, etc.  Making a U-turn to get back on the highway, my front wheels promptly jammed into deep soft snow I had thought was part of the solid road.  Wrong.  "Oh shit," I muttered, realizing I was hopelessly stuck.

Getting out of the car, I was amazed to see another motorist and his wife turn in and stop.  "How can we help?  Can we drive you home?"  Without even getting a chance to think and reply, a big truck, driven by a young man, also pulled in.  Right behind him was another young guy in a truck.  "No worries, I have a tow rope in the back and we'll have you out in a couple of minutes," one of them said.  "Let me get behind the wheel while he pulls you out," said the other. 

And just like that, they had me safely out in fewer than five minutes.  Otherwise, things would have taken a lot longer. 

Telling this to my son-in-law, when he came by to pick up the kids this morning, he said, "Ya, well that's the Alberta way."  Not only am I grateful, I have been chastened.