$20 Dollars

  Edward and I had just a long discussion about whether or not to put any more minutes on the TracFone that we had gotten his father in May and then took when he passed away at the end of that month.  Edward doesn't use it, ever.  OK, except at DragonCon for texting me and our other friends. We decided to go ahead and put another $20 worth of minutes on it, and decide again in Jan (when the new set of minutes would/will) expire.

  We went out to Sweetbay and picked up a few other things we can only get there, plus the minutes, and headed home.  As I was pulling away from the stop sign on 119th, some movement caught my eye to the right and I saw the elderly woman who lives in the house next to the stop sign fall.  I stopped short.  Edward is like, what?  "She just fell" and I pointed.  I rolled down the window and Edward called out, are you OK. 

 "I don't think I can get up".  

  I put the car in reverse, backed up, then pull into her driveway.  We both got out and as we walked up. I asked if she was hurt?  "I don't think so, I don't know until I get up."  So we helped her up, and yes, she was OK.

  Her name is Ruth, and she's lived there for 40 yrs.  We used to see her husband, and remembered that he used an electric chair.  We hadn't seen him in 10 years, as that was when he passed away.   We do see her son, and I'd thought he lived there now.  I guess he just visits.

  Since her front door faced west, she would have been sitting there for a long time, or at least until the gentleman across the street noticed her.  She said he keeps an eye out for her, but today he was probably watching football.  Thing is, it's September, in Florida.  Did I say her porch faced west?  She could have been out there a while and it was pretty hot on that porch, even for just the few minutes we were standing there.  

  "God must be watching out for me" she said, "thank you."  I guess so.  I'm really glad I saw her fall and we were able to help.  Even more so she was OK.  

  I'm also glad we decided to get the phone minutes, because that was the driver for us going out to Sweetbay in the first place.  And that is going to turn out to be the best and most worthwhile $20 we've spent in a long time.

  Nothing beats being in the right place at right time.