“Serving overseas as an East Allen County Hoosier has been intense, stressful and humorous! Enjoy a light-hearted story with me from our last twenty years overseas!”
—Matt
Enjoy the breeze with the windows closed
There is nothing like a nice cruise through the countryside with your windows down on your vehicle to best pick up the smells and sounds, and to feel the breeze. We also like to have house windows open to hear the horses and trains better in the evening.
However, keeping your windows closed and feeling the breeze of the vehicle’s fan can be a safer option in some places overseas. One night we had lodged in a bad hotel in a seedy part of a major capital city, but it was so inexpensive. We loaded ourselves and our belongings in the vehicle. It was one hot day, so we had our windows rolled down. There was traffic, so we were moving at a crawling pace. Suddenly out of the corner of my eye, I saw a scrawny, skinny guy dive into the side window where my wife was sitting, and he grabbed a bag and took off running.
Now I have told workers that we supervise overseas to never take risks in trying to confront a robber – that good advice was forgotten in that moment. I put the car in park and took off running after him. As I ran, I wondered, “Which of our many bags had he actually stolen?” I saw him ahead walking briskly, not running, as he had thought that he was not being pursued.
With my mind racing I grabbed him from behind, spun him around, and grabbed the bag back. I yelled some loud unintelligible gibberish at him, with the hopes that he’d not consider pulling a knife or weapon out on a person that he thought was a crazed lunatic. He looked at me with a wide-eyed startled gaze and then scurried off.
I paused for a moment and looked down at the bag that I was holding. It was a pastel colored, Vera Bradley, quilted, flowery bag with my wife’s cross-stich materials. I walked back to our car embarrassed to being carrying that overly feminine bag. Our car was holding up a line of traffic behind it. I first thought, “Why did that guy steal that flowery bag out of all the belongings he could have grabbed?” I then thought, “I just risked my life over cross-stitch floss and needles!”
Enjoy the breeze with your windows down, but only in the safe places.
Something similar ever happen to you? Contact me and let me hear your story!
Matt’s Mishaps, PO BOX 114, Grabill, IN 46741
