#42: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Impact

I love ordinary people. The different events and races I participate in afford me the opportunity to connect with ordinary people, who upon conversing with are actually always extraordinary in their own right. In September I participated in Raquel’s Wings from Decatur Bicycle Rally. Raquel’s Wings for Life is the nonprofit that sponsors this event. They transport cancer patients of Wise County free of cost to MD Anderson in Houston Texas via plane. This allows for a quicker round trip for ill cancer patients. 
 
The course was two, hilly 51-mile loops. When I got to mile 62, I was told I wouldn’t make the hard six-hour deadline. They asked me to turn around and head back–which was a 20-mile trek. I turned around and at mile 75 I knew I had gone the wrong way when I hit the freeway. I turned back, but at mile 76 my gear shift fell off of my bike and my back wheel locked up. I was lost and my bike was broken but luckily, I contacted race support via Facebook, and someone was able to locate me and send a SAG to pick me up. 
 
A short while later, a kind gentleman in a black truck greeted me with a cold bottle of water and loaded my broken bike into his truck. This man was a seemingly ordinary volunteer, but I found so much extraordinary about him from our conversation on the way back . He thanked me for attending the ride and told me how he found the fundraiser several years ago as a means to notify the community of his services. 
 
He cared for his mother with cancer for many years and discovered the significant need for a service to transport sick patients to Houston for treatment. At the time, he was a commercial pilot for Delta. He quit his job and began transporting people to and from Houston for their treatment. While he makes significantly less money than he would if he still flew for the airline, the joy and life satisfaction he gains from being in service to those in need is priceless. 
 
And almost in a moment of serendipity, as he is telling me his story the phone rings. On the other line is one of his past clients. This client had a rare cancer and only a 1% chance for survival. Inspired by the generosity of the man I was sitting next to (and others like him), the cancer survivor too decided to pay it forward. That man obtained his pilot’s license, purchased a plane, and now too helps transport patients to and from Houston for treatment (and volunteers at this bike rally as well). 
 
Before saying our goodbyes, this kind gentleman asked me one final question: “Do you know what’s the most ironic part of this story?” I looked at him waiting for a response as he shared, “I too was diagnosed with cancer.” Being generous and kind won’t save you from having negative experiences, but they can help you find positivity as you move forward and a caring community to support you through it. 
 
“Choose to see the world through grateful eyes.  It will never look the same.”  Doe Zantamata
 
Until Next Monday…