The Crux of the Moment
All of us have
been exposed to a ‘moment of truth’, a moment where one’s
life can turn on a decision, an action, a happening. For
better or for ill, my life seems to be one long series of
moments that have changed my life and my perspective of what
is important in this world.
One of the first moments occurred during my college days. I
worked at Boeing in Wichita, Kansas while attending full
time classes in El Dorado,
Kansas. Also, I was dating a sweet young thing at school. We
would baby sit for a lady who had five children. Her name is
withheld for privacy reasons.
My girl liked to
dance and I had two left feet so, the mother of the
children, we will call her Rosie, taught me to dance after
school and before I had to be at work. After a few weeks she
had me dancing very well. We became friends during this
time. She was a single mother trying to raise five children
while on welfare. A tough load. She hated welfare, but where
could she get a job and pay the huge bill for someone to
watch her children?
One day she phoned my house in Wichita and asked if I could
help her with a small problem. A stray dog was hanging
around her home and she couldn’t afford to keep it and would
I take her to Wichita so she could take the stray to the
animal shelter.
On the way to Wichita, driving at about 70-75 mph (before
the 55 mph
days), Rosie tried to open the passenger door and tried to
jump out of my car! I kept driving fast as the wind was too
strong to allow her to open the door. I told her to stop
that she would kill me as well. She broke down and cried. I
slowed the car down and pulled over so we could talk. She
was without hope, she hadn’t been eating so as to feed the
children. She did not know how she could make it. I took her
to the local hospital in El Dorado, where she received IV’s
to make her stronger. I made her promise not to do anything
drastic.
I went to the local grocery store and filled my car with
groceries and took them to her home. I stayed in her home
with her kids (remember I am little ore than a kid myself)
and made certain they went to school. The eldest child had
to be the parent while I worked in Wichita.
I paid her phone bill and inventoried her home for
necessities and took care of her needs. I gave her a ride
from the hospital to her home. When she entered her home,
she cried when she saw her cabinets full, her children
happy. She asked me to take her to the local catholic church
to offer prayers and to light a candle.
What happened next, I do not expect people to believe.
Evening was upon us as we walked the two blocks to the small
church. We entered and she proceeded to light a candle. I
wandered around the church. I became fascinated with all the
statues and with the large cross/crucifix at the front of
the church. Nobody else was in the church. Then it happened!
While looking at the crucifix, it seemed to me to move and I
heard a voice, the voice, said, “You have done well and I am
pleased.” The crucifix became a crucifix again, unmoving.
Rosie, ran down the aisle and started to kiss my feet and
saying, “You have been blessed.”
She heard the words also. I looked around, still nobody was
there. I was confused, bewildered, but at the age of 22,
filed the happening as an illusion……but was it? I think not.
I believe in extreme times, during extreme events, we are
not alone. Perhaps this event affected my life, perhaps… no
it did affect my life.
I never wrote about this event before until today. But
people need to know. Rosie, survived got married to a friend
of mine and lived a good life. My life went through many
trials, but I have had a good life…. Because I know I am not
alone.
BJ Cassady
BJ.Cassady@af-group.com
Guthrie, Oklahoma