Witnessing the Improbable
Grace Wilson - April 11, 2008
Yesterday my boyfriend and I were driving downtown. We were coming up to a red light when a group of four college boys on bikes came up behind our car sort of weaving in and out of the slowing traffic at this busy intersection. Right in front of us one of the boys turned around to look behind him just as the car in front of us stopped. He totally face planted it into the back of the SUV.
It wasn’t tragic – he couldn’t have been going more than 5 mph and he didn’t even fall down. There was no dent in the back of the truck, no damage to his bike. But it probably hurt some, and it was surprising to have it happen right in front of us. Before either of us could say or do anything, the woman driving the SUV got out and came to check on the guy who ran into her. I could see pedestrians on the street corner looking on, as we were, staring with mouths open wondering how this was gonna go down. After all, how many times have you seen little altercations turn ugly?
The woman walked around to the back of her vehicle and ran her hands sweetly over his chest, shoulders and back, kind of how you would check on a child after he got hurt to make sure nothing serious was wrong. As she did this the boy spread his arms wide as if to show her he was fine and to indicate that he didn’t mean to cause her any trouble. Then, very organically, the exchange turned into a hug, right in the middle of one of the busiest streets in town, each one reassuring the other that it was okay and no damage was done. Honestly, I felt like clapping.
Something like this will never show up on the local news. Can you imagine?
“In other news this evening, a bicyclist ran into the back of an SUV at the corner of 38th and Lamar during evening rush hour. Seeing that no damage was done, the driver and the cyclist embraced and went their separate ways. Back to you, Deepak…”
If, by chance, there had been a crazy scene, we might have seen it reported on television or caught on video and posted to YouTube. These little moments of pure grace, however, are so stunning that we are too enrapt to dig out our cell phones and do anything about it.
We are surprised if we leave our wallet somewhere and when we return to retrieve it, it’s completely intact. Yet, truthfully, I’ve rarely heard it turn out otherwise. I have been guilty of thinking that, as a species, we are much worse off than we really are.
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Posted by Grace Wilson at April 11, 2008 01:30 AM
Comments
1. Posted by
Ed
![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.intentblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
on
April 11, 2008 02:20 AM
Edmund, it made *my* eyes water, too. Never seen anything like it. Thanks for the hug & back at-cha! Lv, G
2. Posted by
Grace Wilson
on
April 11, 2008 03:53 AM
Well, damn, Grace, that is exactly the kind of news I'd love to watch! And after the local news, The Big Questions Programme with Shekhar and Deepak, and then the Grace Wilson Emotional Wellness Diary, and then the Teresa Long Spiritual Foods Show, and then the DK Matai World Trends Discussion, and then, and then, and then...
Ohe, a new channel!!
Great story and great insights, Grace, thank you.
love, h
3. Posted by
hgquinn
on
April 11, 2008 04:59 AM
Yo, Heather, a hug for you, too. They say three's a crowd. But I say, it calls for the entirety.
Love,
Ed.
4. Posted by
Ed
on
April 11, 2008 05:35 AM
A trinity. And one more makes four.
love, h
5. Posted by
hgquinn
on
April 11, 2008 06:02 AM
Wow, how blessed are you Grace to have witness this? Thank you for sharing this. I feel your post is worth more than all the knowledge in this world. You are right that more stories like this need to be shared. I am even tierd of hearing the cause and reason, scientific explainations and so on about these kind of things. What ever happened to faith, hope, dreams and miracles?
I feel strongly about spreading the possibility of becoming witnesses ...where the impossible becomes possible.
6. Posted by
VivianAmis
on
April 11, 2008 06:58 AM
I'm in! ;-)
7. Posted by
Grace Wilson
on
April 11, 2008 06:59 AM
Thanks, Vivian. Believe me, I really needed to see that. Snapped me back into my Self.
8. Posted by
Grace Wilson
on
April 11, 2008 07:03 AM
Vivian #6 ~ Right on!
Grace,
The fact is you did report this good news. You saw it and you broadcasted it. Such is the "work" of Love when it is made visible.
We are all reporters of news in our world. What is our focus? Your story signifies a turning of emotion in people. Who is witness to the blossoming of new heart/mind? I witness it as a major shift and something to celebrate.
Your stories always make an impression. Thanks for networking good news.
Trish~~
9. Posted by
Trish
on
April 11, 2008 07:35 AM
Grace, I was not surprised that what you saw was not something that just happened once in a while. I lived in Austin for four years and have a son there. Austin has to be one of the very few cities that its citizens are courteous. People speak to each other everywhere in that city--waiting to cross at a red light, letting someone cut in line, etc.The list is too long to put on here. It is not like that in other Texas cities. I'm so happy that you live in Austin and so will you.
10. Posted by
yellowrose
on
April 11, 2008 10:21 AM
Grace, I am deeply enjoying your post!
Strange, my thoughts are around bikes, presently. So, I will give it a break for the moment. I am continuing with a parallel idea.
---
From my eyes, filled with life
I am starting to breath, deeply this time
Deeply and slowly
Rising my ego-self at furious-speed
I simply crashed inside the outside
The air got crispy-sharp
Everyone with my loneliness
The feeling-experience of this place changed
Everyone changed
The music was not the exception...
11. Posted by
Jean-François Désaulniers
on
April 11, 2008 10:48 AM
Grace, thank you, so touching. A hug has spread to so many people. I'll let it circulate :)
12. Posted by
Aurora C
on
April 11, 2008 11:28 AM
#11 Jean, it could not change as much, without your poetry.
The sky informs me of the trees.
Will you accept a hugE hug.....
13. Posted by
Ed
on
April 11, 2008 11:42 AM
Every event happens for an intelligent reason, the infinite minds knows, but the finite minds are left wondering or assuming accident. Unaware of the conductor, the mysterious force orchestrating the symphony of life experience.
When one watches events happening in preparation, understanding divine intent and the supreme evolutionary principle one can derive what the infinite mind anticipates.
This is the nature of a True Prophet.
The observer can query the mind and if enough data has been provided to the left brain creating a supporting conceptual framework, the right brain can produce amazing results and insight where one does not witness or fathom the detail processed. The right brain has access to an infinite scope of knowing. One must just trust the results.
14. Posted by
Richard Thomas ∞Φ
on
April 11, 2008 12:07 PM
Hi Grace,
As I read your story when the lady got out of her vehicle I tried to anticipate how it would end. I didn't get any of it right and it made me all the more happy to be so wrong.
Better still was your idea to write about it here :)
Regards
Dara
What is really nice is that people love to read the good news instead of the bad. That is refreshing.
16. Posted by
arizonasunset
on
April 12, 2008 04:48 PM
It's like the sun rising, arizonasunset but going to bed with a good sunset is equally refreshing by morning!
Me like to play, hope you don't mind. Hope you are refreshed, like I am if you are.
17. Posted by
Ed
on
April 13, 2008 12:33 AM
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Recent Comments
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Ed commented on Witnessing the Improbable
It's like the sun rising, arizonasunset but goi
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arizonasunset commented on Witnessing the Improbable
What is really nice is that people love to read
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Dara commented on Witnessing the Improbable
Hi Grace,
As I read your story when the
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Richard Thomas ∞Φ commented on Witnessing the Improbable
Every event happens for an intelligent reason,
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Ed commented on Witnessing the Improbable
#11 Jean, it could not change as much, without
Oh, dear Grace, this IS a good one. I nearly wept to read of the hug.
To turn our 'collisions' into a hug, or even a joke, that's Grace, Grace!
Right now, I'd love to hug you,
Edmund.