In the last 11 months, we’ve had many challenges. The one challenge that tops them all is the ever changing curfew laws put into place for the Dominican Republic. It’s never consistent, changes terms weekly without warning and complicates our daily tasks. The curfew started light. After 8pm no one was allowed outside. Then it changed to 5pm. This still gave us a full days work. It wasn’t until villages started their own terms that made it more difficult.
I drove the motor scooter to scout a location near the ocean. This was not a new travel for us, but a long one. The location is an hour away. I looked at my fuel before I left and had nothing to worry about. The drive there was successful and the site was beautiful. In fact, we added the location to the relaxation part of our programs.
When I jumped on the scooter to drive back, I noticed the fuel was now low and I should find a gas station soon. Little did I know, the curfew was changed to noon! As I drove past the closed gas stations, I started to sweat. I’m in the middle of nowhere and running out of gas.
After a few calculations in my head, I was not going to make it back to the guest house. So the new plan was to rely on humanity and kindness. As I pulled over to scout the area for people that could help, a man approached me as if he knew I was in trouble. He looked at my fuel gauge and pointed me to his home.
There he grabbed a couple beer bottles full of gas and without saying a word he poured them in my tank. He didn’t expect a thank you or ask for any money. He simply wanted to help.
In the end, I thanked him and gifted him some cash. What started out as a challenging moment, ended up as a reminder that we need to take care of each other and kindness goes a long way.
