Need a Ride?

I picked up two different hitchhikers today.

Let me say that I never pick up hitchhikers. NEVER. But it seemed that the cosmic forces aligned to make it the thing to do not once, but twice, so I went along.

The first was this morning as I was taking my youngest two to school. I pulled up to the stop sign to head down the steep hill that leads to my house and a kid whips by me on a skateboard. He was going at least 40 mph - no kidding. He had his arms out and I thought, "I bet it feels like he's flying." It was pretty cool. In Alissa's words, "Mom! Did you see that guy?" I got down the hill, dropped my girls off, and headed back towards home. There was the flyer, walking up that steep hill, skateboard in hand, thumb out, hoping for a ride back to the top. I pulled over and said, "Hop in. I'll take you up." He reported he's been cruising down the hill for 4 days now and confirmed that it does, indeed, feel like flying. He said that sometimes he gets going so fast that his feet will start to rise off the board; that is scary! We talked some about crashing and he said that he's had a few falls. Last summer, he slid so fast that his shirt caught on fire. I wished him a good flight down and went home thinking that was the first -- and last--time that I would pick up a hitchhiker.

This afternoon, I dropped two of my girls off at home and started down the same steep hill to retrieve David from work (did I mention that I have been in my car all day today?) Off to the side, who should I see but a guy and a girl walking down the hill with their thumbs out. I didn't even hesitate, just pulled over and said, "Where are you headed?" They weren't going far, so I told them to hop in and we had a nice chat.

I'm not sure what it means that I saw and picked up hitchhikers twice in one day on a street that I have gone up and down 7 times a day for 8 1/2 years and never seen a hitchhiker on. Maybe I'm becoming more like my dad, who has given countless numbers a lift in his lifetime. Maybe I've been in my car a little too much lately and I'm losing my "defensive driver" caution. Maybe I was given an opportunity to be kind to some folks who could use a little kindness.

Whatever the meaning, it made for an interesting day.