Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
In the pouring rain last week, veteran visitor and honourary local to the Whitsundays Jan Smith was searching for her son-in-law in a drenched carpark at a nearby shopping centre.
Spotting a white Ute that looked exactly like his, she swung open the door and jumped straight into the vehicle, ready to be driven home in the dry comfort of what she thought was his car.
When she turned to look at her son-in-law, however, she instead found a young man in his twenties beaming at her with a wide, friendly grin.
“I think I might have gotten in the wrong car!” she said, laughing at the mistake.
“That’s ok,” he replied. “Are you alright? Can I help you find the right car?”
Jan politely declined and jumped back out into the now lighter rain to continue her search for the correct vehicle.
A few minutes later she noticed the same young man approaching her.
“Are you sure you’re ok?” he asked, once again offering to help in any way he could.
Fortunately, at that exact moment Jan spotted her son-in-law heading towards them. He had been waiting a little further along since the agreed pickup time and had seen her.
Jan said goodbye to her good Samaritan, but the moment stayed with her long after.
Not only did it give her a funny story to share with friends and family about accidentally jumping into a stranger’s car, it also a reminder of the kindness that is everywhere in our community.
“To think he would get out of his vehicle again to check on me, what a lovely young man,” she said.
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