Directed By A Good Samaritan
Wednesday - October 26, 2005
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Del.icio.usDear Pamela,
My wife and I are former residents of Hawaii who settled on the Mainland many years ago. On a recent visit to Honolulu, we were the beneficiaries of an act of kindness. My wife and I were drivng a rental car to the airport via H-1 to catch a flight home. Somehow I missed the exit to the airport and we found ourselves in unfamiliar territory, somewhere near Aloha Stadium. At a traffic stoplight I rolled down my window and asked for directions from a young lady in the car next to us. She started giving me directions, hesitated and then just said, “Follow me.” I did just that. After following her for several miles through traffic lights and several turns, we found ourselves at the departure area of the airport. She then waved goodbye and headed back toward the highway.
To that Good Samaritan, my wife and I would like to convey our heartfelt thanks for her very considerate and thoughtful act. What she did reflects not only her inherent goodness, but the Aloha Spirit for which Hawaii is justifiably known.
John Cho Silver Spring, Md.
Dear John,
Even locals sometimes miss the exit. I’ve been known to daydream and end up making excuses to a guard at the Pearl Harbor Main Gate! Fortunately, your young guide had the time (and gas!) to point the way so you would-n’t miss your flight. Can we count on you the next time we’re lost in Silver Spring?
Dear Pamela,
I’m just curious ... so many people talk about Good Samaritans and I know it comes from the Bible. Who were the Samaritans and why were they Good?
Hanson Lee
Ma’ili
Dear Hanson,
Look to Luke 10:25-37: On his way from Jerusalem to Jericho, a Jew was robbed, beaten and left for dead on the roadside. A priest passed by and skirted to the other side of the road. A Levite passed by and did the same. Finally a man from Samaria passed by. He stopped to treat the Jew’s wounds, then carried him on his mule to an inn and tended him through the night. In the morning the Samaritan gave the innkeeper money for the injured man’s care. The story is meaningful because the Samaritans and Jews were often hostile to each other, yet kindness was given from the heart, without regard to religious or political loyalties.
Dear Pamela,
Huge APPLAUSE and thanks go to Mike and Lucy at Sunnyside Bakery in Wahiawa.
Recently my purse was stolen out of my car. I spent the day trying to cancel all the credit cards and checking accounts. Very scary!
Out of the blue I got a call from Lucy at Sunnyside. Her employer Mike found them in the garbage. Lucy looked me up in the phonebook and got a hold of me. What a relief!
They deserve APPLAUSE because these days most people just look the other way. Neither of them did that. Thank you, Lucy and Mike for making a lot of people’s days brighter, especially mine!
Elizabeth Merrill
Haleiwa
Dear Elizabeth,
Sunnyside owner Lucy Shimonishi was on vacation and janitor Mike Madrid was not scheduled to be in for a while, but coworkers shared your relief. “Lucy and Mike were happy to return Elizabeth’s documents to her, even though she had already replaced most of them,” says Sunnyside co-worker Alan Shimonishi. “We all felt good Elizabeth got her stuff back.”
(If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, 96813 or e-mail pyoung@kitv.com. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her.)
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