What's up with 90th Birthday Parties?

A few years ago, a friend of mine and I were driving to Lilydale Park in Saint Paul to go for a walk and take some photos. As I drove to the southwest there was an orange sign up ahead that read, Road Closed. “Oh no,” I said. We can’t get into the park; the road is closed.”

“That’s a bummer, can we get in some other way?”

“Not that I know of, I was in the park a couple of weeks ago and there was construction for two miles. I was surprised I could drive through it then because the road was all ripped up,” I said.

We turned around and drove back the way we had come. It was a perfect summer evening and we had the windows down with the wind blowing through our hair. Someone had just mowed their lawn and it smelled good, then I got an idea. “How about if we go to the High Bridge and take some photos there?” I spoke.

“That sounds great!”

“OK, let’s go.”

I proceeded to drive to the High Bridge and when we arrived, we grabbed our cameras and walked to the overlook. It was an amazing view of downtown Saint Paul. There were pleasure boats travelling up and down the Mississippi River and there was even a large old-style paddle boat. The trees were a brilliant green along the banks of the great river. We took some photos of the river and city skyline from various angles. As we walked back to the truck a maroon Buick pulled up next to us and an elderly gentleman got out. He asked, “can you help us? My wife and I are supposed to go to a friend of ours 90th birthday party. I tried to drive down Water Street but the road is closed. Is there another way to get to the Supper Club?”

“I think I know the way but I’m not sure. Why don’t you follow us and we’ll try and get you there?” I spoke.

“No, no, no,” he said. Shaking his head from side to side. “You can just tell me. I don’t want to inconvenience you two,”

“It’s no problem and my friend has GPS on her phone that we can check if we need to.”

“Well, alright, I don’t like it but we’ll follow you.”

My friend and I got into the truck and we took the route that I thought we needed to go. We had driven a few miles and up ahead we could see the Supper Club. I turned into the parking lot and waved to the people in the maroon Buick. He lowered his window and asked me to wait. As he walked toward us, I heard him say to the parking lot attendant, “I have a fiver for this young gentleman.”

When he got close to our truck, he took out his wallet, “Here is a five-dollar bill for bringing us here.”

“That isn’t necessary, we were glad to help you out,” I said.

“I insist, and thank you very much.”

I hesitated to take the bill, though he had a determined look on his face so I took it and said, “You are welcome. I’m glad that we were able to help you and your wife, and tell your friend happy birthday!”

“I’ll do that, and thanks again,” he said as he turned and walked back to their car.

As we were driving away my friend said, “That was nice of you to do.”

“It wasn’t just me, I volunteered you to help them also. I should have asked you if you had your phone. I think I know you well enough that you would want to help them as well.”

“I have my phone and I was more than happy to help,” she said.

“I thought it was the right thing to do. If we were in their situation, I would hope that someone would help us. Hopefully, he will help seven people, and those seven will help seven more, and so on forever. Wouldn’t the world be a much better place?”

“That it would.”