I’m still baffled by this years later.

I was in a car accident that damaged the car enough that it would be a couple of weeks before it was fixed. I was able to get a ride to work with my boyfriend, but he had a part-time job after his regular full-time job, so he couldn’t give me a ride home unless I was willing to wait 4-5 hours. I was fortunate that one of my coworkers lived a street over from me, so if I waited an hour, they could drive me home (typically to their own house and I walked less than ½ a block home.)

Something to mention: my coworker is HIGHLY allergic to cats, and I have several. During work, this isn’t much of an issue, but being in the tight confines of a car, I didn’t want to cause them any problems as they were doing me a favor. I took the time to move my work clothes into the spare closet and didn’t dress until I was walking out the door, to keep as much cat hair and dander off me as possible.

My car was finally fixed, and I was set to pick it up the following day, so I let my co-worker know how much I appreciated them and gave them a gift card to their favorite restaurant, since they had previously refused any cash for gas and said I wasn’t putting them out at all.

When I gave them the gift card, they said they were disappointed in our friendship and that I was using them. Confused, I asked what they meant. If they wanted cash for helping me out, I’d be happy to give them some.

They said no, that they have dropped me off at my house several times, and we live so close, but I have never invited them over. Even more confused, I said, I obviously couldn’t ask them to my house as my cats would kill them. (Somehow, cats know if someone is allergic). They said that was beside the point, that I should still invite them over.

I asked them why they’d never invited me over, and they said they couldn’t risk my bringing cat hair/dander into their home.

I blinked a few times and just walked away as I had no response. They refused to give me a lift home as we weren’t friends anymore.

I checked in with some coworkers to see if I was missing something, and they all knew about their allergy and were just as confused.

CONTENT WARNING: Pet death (old age)

If you don’t like the police, I advise you to keep scrolling, because I need to brag on a local police force that went above and beyond to bless me in an awful situation. Then again, maybe you’re the one person who should read this.

It was one of the worst nights of my life. My precious senior doggo, after giving me sixteen and a half years of unconditional love, was declining rapidly before my eyes, and as much as I had dreaded this moment for the past few years, I knew it had come. The ugly crying started as soon as that realization hit me and didn’t stop the whole time it took me to get dressed (it was 1 AM), bundle her up, and take her on what would be her last car ride.

I drove extra-slow down the highway, sobbing hysterically, driving with my left hand and petting my doggo constantly with my right, on the way to the local emergency vet, who was waiting for us.

I barely noticed a patrol car on the median as I passed it, but I did notice it make a U-turn and pull in behind me. I honestly didn’t care when the blues and reds started flashing in my rearview mirror, just give me my ticket, I thought, and let me get on with this.

We pulled over, and the lady officer came around the passenger side as I started digging in the glove box for my credentials. She shone her flashlight in the window, saw my face, and instantly read the room correctly. As I lowered the window, she gently asked, “Ma’am, are you okay?”

Still sobbing heavily, I explained the situation as best I could. She explained that she noticed how slowly I was driving and was concerned for my safety. She understood completely that I was absolutely NOT in a hurry to get to my destination.

She told me to put my paperwork away and offered to follow me to the vet to make sure I arrived safely. When I pulled up to the emergency room door, I almost didn’t notice that the officer had parked in a regular parking spot until she came up to ask me if I needed help (I had parked in a handicapped spot). I clutched my dog tighter than I did my purse as the officer accompanied me to the door and held it open for me so we could enter less awkwardly. She explained the situation to the staff, and they thanked her for helping me, as did I (I was still trying to pull myself together). She refused to leave until she knew I was calm enough to drive home and would (eventually) be okay.

A few days later, I called the police station’s non-emergency number and left a message for that officer’s lieutenant. I wanted to let them know how amazingly compassionate that officer was, and how much her kindness was needed and appreciated at that moment.

Later that night, that sweet, wonderful officer called me back to make sure I was okay and to express her sympathies. I started crying again at her thoughtfulness.

The next day, her lieutenant called me as well. First, he thanked me for taking the time to express gratitude for their service (at a time when police are receiving much more grief than they deserve, it was the least I could do). He then graciously offered for me to come visit the station and spend time with their four K-9 officers, at any time that worked for them and me.

I know not all cops are perfect–but not all members of ANY group are. Unfortunately, working in journalism taught me that “If it bleeds, it leads”, and good news (and by extension, good people) are boring. I stand by the fact that most police officers are good, hard-working, decent, helpful people, and only the bad ones make the news. The actions of those police officers that night only solidified that stance in my mind, and I will always be grateful for their compassion and caring. I will continue to pray for their safety and that of all service people.

My wife and I live near a city called Anderson. We frequently drive there for groceries, the hardware store, etc.

A few days ago, we were driving through town and passed a bus stop with a kiosk that read “CATS” on the side.

Wife: “You’d think they would have changed that ad by now.”

Me: “What ad?

Wife: “The ad for ‘Cats’ back there. How many years has it been since that came out?”

Me: “Since what came out?”

Wife: “The musical, ‘Cats’! I’ve seen that same ad up there for years!”

Me: “Uh, honey … that’s the name of the bus company. CATS is City of Anderson Transportation System.”

Wife: “What … seriously?! Omighod, I always thought that was an ad that they never took down! You must think I’m an idiot!”

I’d never say that out loud, dear. But I love you anyway.

This weekend, I was on my way home Sunday afternoon with my family. We live in an area that’s somewhere between rural and suburban; lots of forest, widely spaced properties on the main road, and the side roads.

In one of the (slightly) more populated areas, we had to slow down because there was a fender-bender in the other lane, heading back toward the city. Both cars were still there, waiting for tow trucks or emergency vehicles. Behind them, there was a lot of liquid and debris in the road, but my lane, leading away from the city, was clear.

Up ahead, I could see a guy standing in the street, stopping oncoming traffic, presumably so they wouldn’t either drive through the debris or rear-end one of the crashed vehicles. I also had to slow way down because two women were walking away from the accident on my side of the road.

Then, all of a sudden, three cars pull into my lane and start driving straight at me! I slammed on my brakes, pulled over as far as I could (there aren’t very wide shoulders on the road here), and blared my horn because what the actual h***?

THEN, the two women walking on the side of the road run up and start yelling at me to stop because it turns out HE had been WAVING ONCOMING TRAFFIC into my lane, even though no one was stopping traffic on the other side of the accident.

Basically, this guy with three teeth and half as many brain cells just decided to start waving cars into oncoming traffic, and somehow he and these two other women thought I was in the wrong.

The drivers in the oncoming cars looked as panicked as I felt to find themselves almost in a head-on collision with me.

Dude, it’s nice to stop to help at an accident, BUT IT’S NOT HELPING IF YOU CAUSE MORE ACCIDENTS!

This story reminded me of something that happened around 2021.

I live on the main road North out of our village; it’s a narrow, windy country road, but the other road out is even narrower.

In February 2020, the wall of the churchyard collapsed, blocking my road: it remained closed for almost exactly three years.

Once I set off northwards, by the other road, and realised I had left something at home. So, I turned around, passed the “⬅️ Road Closed” sign, and turned down the closed road. Another car followed me down there.

When I got to the bottom, before the blockage, I parked in order to walk past the blockage to my house.

The car behind me did an aggressive-looking three-point turn and roared off back the way they’d come.