Relationships!!!!! Boy, they can be hard and they can be beautiful. I’ve been through both let me tell you - hard and beautiful. Actually, I won’t tell you, but I think most of us have experienced it. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve dated some really amazing women in my day. I’m quite sure I’m a handful to deal with and they probably have the scars to prove it! Good luck to the women of the world!!! Ha!

Anyway, tonight I was driving to one of my favorite stores, Costco, in Burbank. I wasn’t feeling particularly great, personally. Ya know, dealing with some “stuff”. I was in the Media Center Mall area of Burbank to be exact. I became familiar with the area a couple of years ago when I started dating someone who lived over there. It just seems to be less stressful than the Miracle Mile area that I currently live in. It has wider, smoother streets and there seems to be lots of parking. I know, sounds crazy, huh? Well, maybe it’s the side of me that has lived in this studio with no parking for 7 years. Maybe it reminds me of being home in Virginia Beach.

Sure, I could just move over there, but I don’t want to move into another rental if I can help it and I don’t want to move into a rental with a roommate. I mean, I’ve been paying rent here for 7 freakin’ years and I have nothing to show for it. That is not a great feeling.

My ex and I actually flirted with the idea of buying something together, but I don’t think that would have been too smart for either of us. She moved forward with the idea with her roommate and I think it has me consumed with doing something similar. I don’t know how I could afford buying something by myself, I don’t have any male friends that I could think of doing something like that with and if I do it with a woman she’ll be my wife…..or at least fiancé…..I think.

I would, however, consider having a roommate if I had a mortgage. Food for thought; something to think about while I’m on vacation.

Anyway, back to my Costco trip. While turning left onto Victory from Magnolia I saw a car that was sitting in the intersection and it appeared to be stalled with nobody helping. I immediately pulled over and jumped out to push the car out of the roadway. Before I could even get there 3 men were there already pushing; THAT was a great thing for me to see. It really warmed my heart.

Once the womans’ vehicle was safely off the road the other men cleared out in a flash. I stayed to see if I could help in any way. The driver, an older Mexican woman, was really stressed out with a very long un-lit cigarette in her mouth. I asked her what was going on. Obviously, the car wouldn’t start. I wanted to figure out why. It was trying to start, so the battery was fine. She had fuel, but it wouldn’t run smoothly. I think it was a bad fuel pump. After a while of her trying to start it I asked if I could jump in and try it; she happily obliged. I got it started, but it would idle very, very roughly and I didn’t think it would get her far.

Through her accent, she told me she was on her way to work at the same place that her daughter worked, somewhere up on Roscoe Blvd. I hadn’t been up on Roscoe Blvd. since my car was towed and taken up there…..whole ‘nother story.

I wasn’t in a hurry so I offered to take her the rest of the way. She was understandably hesitant and explained that it was her daughters’ car and she didn’t know what to do. I asked if she had AAA and she replied “no”. I didn’t want to leave her on the side of the road, but there wasn’t much more I could do so I offered her a ride again. I told her I understood if she didn’t want to accept, but I am know one to be afraid of and that I “wanted” to help. She looked at me for a moment and kinda sighed and said “I believe in God”. I said “Great, I’ll be right back with my car”.

Oh yeah, that long-ass cigarette she had in her mouth was now lit. I was curious if she would be so bold to smoke in my car, or at least try. Nobody had smoked in my car before. I was also curious if I would let her smoke in my car since she was already stressed out OR if I would save her from dying another day earlier and ask her to put it out. When I went back to help her in my car the smoky stick was gone.

On the way to Roscoe Blvd I found out that her name was “Esther” her daughters’ name was also “Esther” I guess that makes her daughter a “Jr.” huh? She explained that her daughter would be very, very angry to know that she took a ride with a stranger. I told her I understood and suggested that she call her to let her know what was going on. I guess she felt pretty comfortable with me because she didn’t feel the need to call.

After a 10 minute drive I left her safely at her place of employment. It really felt great to be able to help someone tonight. I wasn’t in the greatest place and that was the perfect medicine to make me feel better. Thanks Esther and your daughters’ old ass Toyota Camry wit a jacked up fuel pump. You helped me have a better night than I would have had without you.