How Did You Spend Your Valentine's Day???

As an avid MountainWings reader, I can't tell you how many times your timing has been so perfect in helping me through whatever was going on in my life. I mean, it is just amazing! But this time, you helped me find an answer that I desperately needed.

Last week, my husband, myself, and our two children, ages 7 and 10 decided to go out to Red Lobster for dinner, a special treat for us.

I had received a gift card for Christmas and we hadn't used it yet. My husband is a Computer Tech for a large hospital here in California. It was his weekend to be on call, so we had to stay around town anyway. We live in Sacramento.

We decided to go to dinner at 5:30 as Red Lobster always has a long waiting list. My husband got paged around 5:00, had to make a call and wait for a call back, so we ended up leaving later than planned, a little after 6:00pm.

We are on our way to the restaurant, it's dark out, and my husband is telling me all about this new program he just put on our computer and everything it could do. We are traveling down a busy street, four lanes, 45mph, and I looked out my window saying, "Oh My God! There's a man back there, and a bike, in the ditch! I know that's what I saw! A man and a bike, on the side of the road, in the ditch!"

He said, "Ok, we'll turn around and go take a look." We turned around, went down the road, turned back the way we had traveled, and sure enough, there was a man, face down, on the side of the road.

My husband stopped, turned on our emergency flashers, as there is no place to pull off; he got out and went to the man. I got on my cell phone and called 911. They said someone had called, and help was on the way. I told the kids to sit still, everything would be ok, and I got out to join my husband.

The man was trying to stir, my husband was telling him not to move around, so I knelt down beside him and talked to him, put my hand on his shoulder, asked him to try not to move, that help was on the way, and we would stay with him.

He tried to turn his head to see me, he was facing the ditch, he moved his arm. I just gently, softly caressed his shoulder to let him know he wasn't alone, to try and comfort him, and asked him to please be still, and try not to move.

The sheriff got there, it seemed like 5 to 10 minutes had passed. Two guys came from across the street, they said they had found him, taken the bike off the top of him, and gone to call for help.

I stayed with him until the firemen came, then I moved out of their way. I could not believe this! Someone had hit a human being with their car and left them for dead. How could this be?

I asked the Sheriff, "How could someone not know they hit him?" He said, "I'm sure they did know, and that's why they kept going, it happens everyday."

The sad truth is, that here in Sacramento, it does happen everyday. The Sheriff asked us if we saw anything, and we told him that we didn't, that I had just happened to look out my window and see him as we were driving by. He took our names and our phone number in case the CHP wanted to contact us, but doubted they would since we didn't have any information.

By this time, we could hear the ambulance coming, so we left as not to be in the way.

This man has been on my mind ever since. The lack of human compassion is just beyond my comprehension. At first, it bothered me a bit, the Sheriff, and the firemen, they didn't seem to care as much as I did. But then I realized very quickly that they have to step back from these situations, or they couldn't do what they do everyday.

But I can't get this man out of my mind. Why was my husband paged, our dinner plans delayed? Why did I look out my window into the darkness at that very moment and see this man? Why were we put in that place, at that time? Why is this stranger so important to me?

As we drove away, all I could think about was this poor guy, just an average guy, probably doesn't have much money since his bike was his transportation, in blue jeans, sneakers, a light jacket, and a comb sticking out of his back pocket.

What kind of person could hit him with their car, and just leave him for dead? How is this poor man going to feel? So unimportant. I don't want this man to feel unimportant. Maybe that's why we were involved in this trauma, because he is important. I don't know the answers. I just know that I've been having trouble trying to go on about my daily life, and not think about him.

I called the Sheriff's dept. on Tuesday to try and find out where they took him. They transferred me to CHP. They were able to tell me the hospital he was taken to. I called there, but without a name, they couldn't tell me anything.

I called back to CHP, told them my story, and asked if they could help me to find out about this man. They said they really appreciate the fact that I care, and thanked me for caring, but unfortunately, they cannot give me any information.

I was afraid of that, and I totally understand why it has to be that way. The sad truth is, there are some pretty sick people in this world, and they have to protect this man's identity.

My heart was sad, I really feel a need to reach out to this man, to show him some compassion, but how can I? I know that if it is meant to be, it will happen, and if not, then I will have to let it go.

I sat at my desk, feeling sad, with this man on my mind. I don't know why this is so important, but I know that it is.

Automatically, I click on my email, and there's MountainWings "52X". I saw it earlier, I just hadn't taken the time to read it yet. But now feeling low, I thought would be a good time to read it.

The first line,

"How do you know when you are doing the right thing?"

I continued to read, but couldn't concentrate; I kept going back to that first line. I was almost to the end, couldn't tell you what I was reading, I kept going back to the first line, "How do you know when you are doing the right thing?"

Then it came to me. the Chaplain! All hospitals have a Chaplain. I'll bet if I call and talk to the Chaplain, tell them my story, they will help me.

I wouldn't expect them to give me personal information, such as a name, but maybe they could tell me if this man is OK and if he has friends and family around.

I've been making Valentines with my kids for friends and family. I just have to know if this man has someone around that cares.

I finally got a call back from the Chaplin, and I told her my story. She said she would see what she could find out, and call me back. She called back and said she found him.

When I asked if he was doing ok, she said, "Considering the extent of his injuries, he's doing ok." I asked her,

"Is he paralyzed?"

She said yes, and seemed puzzled that I knew that. But while I was kneeling next to him, trying to comfort him, I knew.

When he tried to move around, his legs never moved, just his head and his arm. I didn't realize until I said it, that I knew. My heart sank so low for him. I asked if he had any family around him. She said that he told her he had a brother and a sister, she thinks they have been to see him, but doesn't know if they live here.

She said that she talked to him, and he didn't mind if we came to visit him. I'm going to call the Chaplain the day after tomorrow, Valentine's Day. We are going to go and visit him, take him a valentine, some flowers, show him that we care, and are so sorry about what has happened to him.

I don't know what to say, to this stranger, whose life is forever changed. I do know, that when the time comes, I will find the things that need to be said, the things that he needs to hear. God has never let me down, he always gives me the right words at the right time. I just know with all of my heart and soul, that I am doing the right thing.

There is some reason that we came across this stranger, this possibly new friend. Someday it will all be understood.

Thank you for a MountainWings Moment that gave me the answer that I was so desperately searching for at the time.