Lessons in life learned from being a girl in the country

There are certain things in a persons life that can only be learned by practicing such activities.

A lot of the lessons I have learned in life city friends overlook and because of that have not come to realize the humble moments a person can live without constantly being stuck in fast forward.

Today as I was pulling into the farm when I passed a truck on the turbine lane that was making a loud hissing noise. I thought maybe they had some sort of compressor in the bed because theres was a lot of tools back there.

Apparently not enough.

After my frantic search for my favorite pair of lost sunglasses, which I never found I was pulling back out to run into town to get some stuff for the first 4-H meeting tomorrow. The truck that was previously hissing like a compressor as I thought had a chronic case of completely flat tire.
One guy was under the truck trying to look like he knew what he was doing and the second was attempting to construct something on the tailgate that should have resembled a foldable tire iron of sorts. The hood was also up for some strange reason. What an amusing sight.

I rolled down my window and asked them if they needed any help.
The guy under the truck sat up and grinned back with some snark "Only if you actually have, and know how to use a jack"
Of course I had a jack in my trunk. Who the heck would be caught living out here without one. It would cost you an arm and a leg to get someone to come out and fix a flat here.
I went to the trunk and pulled out my scissor jack, not the best one but it would do it.
The guy who snarked at me jumped up and grabbed it, thanking me.
He hopped back underneath the truck and put it in place and sat there for a moment before I pointed out he needed the handle, which was in my hands to jack the jack up.
The guy jumped back up and grabbed it saying thanks before taking a moment to figure out how to work it.
I had this stupid grin on my face right about now, this was mighty amusing. They were totally from the city, never had to change a tire by themselves in their life and obviously never seen a girl who knew how to change one who was probably half their age.

About halfway to getting the truck jacked up the boss of the flat tire guys came rolling down the lane in his immaculate polished expedition. Here I am thinking "gee thats an awfully clean, shiny, expensive truck to be driving down the lane" He jumped out and exclaimed "I see help arrived. Where'd you get the jack?" I grinned smugly and greeted him. We talked for a moment about the turbines. He kept asking if I didn't have someplace to be. I told him I wasn't in a hurry the store was open for another hour yet and I really did not have to be anyplace that night. About this time we turned our attention back to the flat tire.
The two guys were attempting some sort of back alley brain surgery on the poor truck's center cap with the end of a tire iron and bending it.
Here is where I start racking up points for "Sydney knows how to change a tire" vs "city construction workers who really don't". I gained another point for pointing out how it was far more efficient to take the center cap off by pushing the clips, than going caveman on it with a tire iron. I think they were on to my little game at this point. They started to make cracks about women out here knowing more than men when it came to mechanics. I pointed out that in the country you gotta change your own tire or walk the long country blocks home (mostly because cell reception out here is a black hole so no one would know to pick you up). In the city the garage on every street corner can do it for you. They all piped up, I was right again.

So after pointing out a few more things to help them change a tire they were almost on the road again. They handed me back my jack and their boss thanked me for saving them time and money. I wished them well and threw the jack back into my trunk. They talked amongst themselves for a moment before the boss driving the -too nice for the farm truck- came over and says "Can I buy you a coffee for your help?" I denied his offer, I haven't drank a full cup of coffee in my life and I never expect anything from anyone. Hell I know someday if I am stuck with a flat someone would be there to offer me a jack if I didn't have one (which I always will have one). He stood back for a moment, reflecting on the past 15 minutes and says "You know theres something different about people out here I have met compared to the city. Everyone is in such a hurry in the city they never learn how to live. Heck I don't know how to relax. I hope my children grow up to be something like you kid. It makes me hopeful there are still nice people in the world ready to go out of their way to do nice things for complete strangers" and he tossed the $20 for my help into my car window and drove away.

I guess no one told those guys theres no Tim Hortons out here for 20 minutes in any direction but I appreciated the gesture. No coffee for me. So I put the money into the -Sydney needs a new pair of sunglasses- fund. I made an all time record today. Lost one, my favorite pair someplace in the barnyard this morning without noticing until later, which are now likely stompelated into smithereens. The second I bent the arms on when I caught them on my sweater and the third I dropped and both lenses popped out. Man am I on a roll today this is a record.

So as I am reflecting on my victory in the chapter of "I am woman hear me roar" I think about giving what you have, and receiving much in return.
A simple act of thinking of others instead of yourself, because quite frankly I could have just given them the number of the local garage and spared myself the 30 minutes of amusement but I didn't. I never even thought of that until now, my first reaction was to ask them if they needed my help and offer them what I had. If the store closed before I got there, oh well theres tomorrow.
But then theres still a lot more to learn from living out here, where life only goes as fast as the beat up tractor three cars ahead of you cruises.