Hi Steve, I like this one. We need more Zegies in this world. Thanks for sharing. Original message: > Ziggy's Garage > Times were tough in our household. My husband was out of work, and > there was no sign of anything promising for him. Our son had been in a > diving accident and was recuperating at home after two surgeries. In > addition to going to nursing school full time, I was working three part > time jobs just to put food on the table for our family of five. > After a rather meager meal one night, I answered the ringing phone. > With no introduction, a quiet, deep voice asked, "Do you need food? > Come to my place, and I can help you." > Directions followed and he clicked off. No in depth conversation or > queries as to our financial situation. It was up to us to decide > whether or not we trusted a voice on the telephone to seek out this stranger. > I was desperate. With barely any food in the cabinet and no prospect of > a job for my husband, I knew I had to take a chance, swallow my pride, > and accept the bizarre offer. Was there a catch? Were we the victims of a > scam? > It wasn't an easy task to get to our benefactor's home. Miles of > wooded, winding roads led to more wooded, winding roads. Someone must > have played a cruel joke on us. Just as I had made up my mind to turn > around, gritting my teeth over the waste of precious gas used on this > wild goose chase, a mailbox appeared in the headlights. > The simple white, raised ranch home was easy to miss. Set on a knoll, a > bank of trees hid the front of the house, but the blazing lights from > the open garage beckoned me. There was no car in the garage. Instead, > lined up in orderly rows were tables filled with canned food, bags of > bread, packages of diapers, laundry detergent, everything needed to > maintain a home. > A craggy, nondescript gentleman greeted me with a minimum of verbiage. > Not much different than our phone conversation! > "Look around. If you see what you want, help yourself." He handed me > paper bags and turned away to another bewildered new arrival, passing > along the same message. > This couldn't be real! I guiltily filled the paper sacks with what we > absolutely needed and gratefully thanked the elderly man. > "Be here next week. You'll run out by then," was his reply. > My head was spinning. I had three bags of groceries given to me FREE by > someone I had never met before, and he had told me to return for more. > Who in his right mind did such a thing? > Well, it seems that this Angel of Mercy, Ziggy, did. Widowed and > retired, he wanted to do something worthwhile in his golden years to > fill his time. He drove his pickup truck daily and begged for usable > items and canned goods from local grocery stores. > He delivered most of the booty to the shelters and food banks. What was > left over, he stocked in his garage, sought out folks like us who had > fallen on hard times, and gave it away. > I never knew what our weekly menus would be until the boys and I had > "shopped" in Ziggy's garage. We ate canned ham, stew, oatmeal, or corn > 99 different ways, feasting like royalty. With our bellies full, we > could focus on paying necessary bills with what little money we had. A > major stress had been lifted that winter until my husband did find a job. > Once in a while, I stop in front of that house where Ziggy used to > live. The garage is gone, but I can still hear that little man saying, > "Look around, help yourself." > Yes, Ziggy, I did look around. I saw a gentle spirit, who gave what he > could to a young mother and her family who needed a boost. Then I > helped myself to what I wanted, a renewed belief in the kindness of > strangers and gratitude for hope which had been dimmed. > Ziggy fed our bodies and our souls, and the world is a richer place > because of him.
> A single candle can illuminate an entire room. A true friend lights up > an entire lifetime. Thanks for the bright lights of your friendship. > -- Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network. Visit www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
