Dear Cadillac Man

Dear Cadillac Man;

I wish I had an actual name and address to where I could send this letter. You were a white knight in my life 52 years ago. I was the little ten year old stranger who bled profusely all over your newly covered leather seats in your Cadillac. I very likely owe you my life.

This was in Indialantic, Florida in 1972. My siblings, cousins, and I were walking home from the beach and, being a hot Florida afternoon, stopped off at the church to get a drink of water. The back hall of the church where the water fountain was located had a door that swung open and closed. In the top half of the door were inset small panes of glass. My cousin exited before me and, as the door was swinging shut, I put out my hand to catch it. Unfortunately, my hand struck glass rather than wood. Both the door and my arm continued moving in their respective opposite directions. As flesh tends to rend when sliced, I received two parallel gashes down the length of my left arm and was bleeding, pardon the phrase, like a stuck pig.

As this was 1972, we did not have cell phones to contact mom and dad or call 911. So, we were a group of traumatized children clueless about what to do with one of us severely injured. Thank the good Lord you heard the commotion and came out of the church. Seeing a little boy with major lacerations on his arm, you immediately bundled this strange child into your Cadillac and drove him to the hospital. No thought was given to the new leather upholstery upon which I bled profusely. You exemplified the biblical definition of a neighbor by being that Good Samaritan. You gave of yourself to help someone you didn’t even know.

I’m not sure who told me later that your car seats were newly upholstered when this occurred. I assume it was probably my parents. No doubt your seats were ruined and your Cadillac most likely smelled like a charnel house for a while. Sorry if you had to keep windows down instead of running your air conditioning. Regardless, for this selfless act I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I want you to know that I received 156 stitches in that arm on that day. Actually, 149 in my arm and seven below my left pinky finger. I still bear the scars and will until the day I die. However; if you had not been there this would undoubtedly have been much worse.

Given a way to do so, I would pay you back. Unfortunately, I have no means of contacting you to do so. Still, I have tried to pay it forward over the years. Your example of love and kindness for others taught me a strong life lesson. This probably led me to my thirty year career as an emergency 9-1-1 police, fire, and medical dispatcher. This career gave me a way to pay it forward by being there for strangers on a daily basis. Like you on that day, I tried my best to be there for others in their time of need. To be patient and understanding in the face of adversity.

So, I want you to know that your selfless act led me to a life path of service. I can 0nly hope that in some small way I have paid that debt to you, my Good Samaritan.

If by some miracle you happen to see this letter (stranger things have happened), reach out. Of course, it is probable at this point that you may have passed on to your final reward, but, if not… Well, let me know. Or if perhaps someone reading this should recall hearing from their father or uncle about the little boy who bled all over his car in 1972 in Indialantic I would love to hear from you.

So, not sure what else there is to say except thank you from the heart of that little boy and the soul of the man you helped him become. A thanks way too long overdue.

Sincerely,

Lacerated Lad

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The above is for the Letters of Gratitude Challnge. Below is the link:

https://shopping-feedback.today/challenges/letters-of-gratitude%3C/p%3E%3Cstyle data-emotion-css="14azzlx-P">.css-14azzlx-P{font-family:Droid Serif,Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:1.1875rem;-webkit-letter-spacing:0.01em;-moz-letter-spacing:0.01em;-ms-letter-spacing:0.01em;letter-spacing:0.01em;line-height:1.6;color:#1A1A1A;margin-top:32px;}