My father’s car, one afternoon, broke down in the middle of a crowded street in Riyadh. He became frustrated and exhausted while thinking of a way to get out of the mess he was in. He stepped out of his car and under the scorching heat of the sun took a deep look.
To his surprise, at least four cars pulled up close by. One of the drivers stepped out of his car together with his friends asking him to step aside to push the car. Another driver came and told my father that he could use his car to go home and take any other passengers he may have with him. A third volunteer telephoned road services to tow the car away and a fourth gave him a bottle of cold water to calm him down and quench his thirst.
What happened was the norm 20 or 30 years ago, when people used to be generous and full of dignity. People used to, without hesitation, provide help to anyone anywhere. Nowadays, people are materialistic, and being selfish has become a common trend. The culture of being generous and helpful is something rare. When they occur, people mention them out of being noteworthy.
I believe that my father expressing surprise that a number of people rushed to help him is an indication at the scary situation of people nowadays. Helping one another should not come as a surprise. We must never turn a deaf ear to those who are truly in need.
Away from the affairs of the current era, I am confident that goodness still exists in people. With such incidents, we always hope for things to become better. What happened to my father was not just a coincidence or a one-off.
