One night, at 11:30 P.M., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached...
It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole
Notes: Many will already know that this little story has been debunked... I'm certain that it's on snopes.com. Nevertheless, it points out that one should be willing to help others selflessly, without regard to a reward or even a 'thank you'. Note also that this story takes place in Alabama - Nat King Cole was born in Alabama, he died in a hospital in Santa Monica, CA, on 2/15/65 of lung cancer - he was 45 years old.
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