I don't like tooting my own horn very much. I stopped to help a couple guys with a flat tire and one of them asked me to drop him an email. I said I would, but what do I write? "Here it is, hope your spare didn't go flat."? They had stopped part way up the hill north of Walnut Prairie with most of the car still on the road with a flat. Awkward, but manageable ... until they didn't set the parking brake on their front wheel drive car and it rolled off the jack shortly after removing the wheel. Here's what I wrote:
David,
Hope you guys made it to Marshall OK. Your request I drop you an email caused me to ponder on why I do things like that. I don't do things like that looking for recognition. If I hadn't told you I would send you an email I would have just driven off into the sunset. OK, so what do I say in this email? Let me tell you why I showed up, and a bit about my town.
We were setting at home when we heard the ambulance called to a neighbor's home. West Union is a small community. (http://westunion.blogspot.com) My wife and I know the patient, we know the Paramedic and the EMT driving. So when Bill called in a 10-46 (disabled vehicle) as they were in route to the hospital we knew there was something special about the situation. My wife turned to me and said "You're going to go check on that, aren't you?" It really was more of a statement than a question. That's why I showed up. Jamie and Avery Booth stopped because they saw a car with a problem a half mile from their house and my truck setting there.
As it says on the West Union Facebook page (www.facebook.com/pages/West-Union-Illinois/118405071514792) "There is a special attitude in West Union. The park, library, community center, the Fire Department, the Christian Church Mission fund, all these things testify to that 'We can do it' attitude." It is an interesting little town. Population around 300, it has 3 restaurants and a carry out pizza place, plus it's the first town east of Moonshine (www.themoonshinestore.com/). West Union has a fantastic Library for the size the town is. Its operating budget is about twice what its tax revenue is. It has the largest t-shirt shop on ebay (www.honeville.com) plus a few other businesses.There are 3 churches in West Union (The Christian Church has a web site at www.wucc.us) And how many towns have their own guided missile?
I mentioned the ambulance. West Union has an ambulance based there. We had 4 Paramedics staffing it on a volunteer basis. After an accident last fall cost us the life of one we are down in numbers but still going. (http://westunion.blogspot.com/2010/10/west-union-paused-this-week.htmll)
So stop by again some time on your way through. We can do most anything but fix a tire.
Mike Bumpus
www.BumpusFarms.US
http://walnutprairie.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment