The Papa John’s Man Hero

Kindness comes in many forms- it can be a small gesture of smiling at the lonely man at the bus station, or going out of your way to sit down next to him and seeing what great stories he has to tell. Regardless of how it’s given, the world really needs more kindness. I’d like to share an experience I had this week about a man who showed a really big act of kindness- he put his life on the line.

I was driving home the other night- it was a beautiful evening and I was reflecting on how happy I was to be alive in such a cool world (really!). As I came to the 4-way stop between Family Video and Osco Drug, I noticed two adorable little boys standing on the sidewalk on my side of the road waiting to cross the street. When it was my turn to go, I motioned for the boys to go after making sure the person across me wouldn’t hit them. After they passed my car and entered the other lane, a man came up on the left side of the 4-way and began to turn without stopping. This man was on his cell phone and not paying attention. Everything slowed down in that moment: I let out a scream in my own car, the boys tried to run and the Papa Johns man on that side of the road jumped out to try and catch the driver’s attention. The man slammed on his brakes just in time to avoid hitting those kids. Drivers all around me honked their horns and screamed at the man who just drove away. The boys were fine, if not a little shaken. If that Papa Johns man hadn’t have jumped out at that car, I probably would have seen two little boys lose their lives. Thank you, Papa Johns salesman for looking out for those two boys with the sacrifice of putting yourself at risk.

We all can’t be heroes like that man the other night, but we can add our contributions to the world. Ask that quiet kid in class how he’s doing or bring a spare pencil to lend to someone who forgot theirs. We’ve all felt the affects of receiving kindness, and many people out there demonstrate being kind as well. This is just a post to inspire you to be a little better today- you never know whose day you’ll make a little brighter.

Be kind, if you don’t mind!