Here’s one to hopefully brighten your day!

Just this week my wife, Mary, and I went to Costco for gas. We pulled into the gas pump area and there was a car just like ours already in the pump area – a white Chevy Malibu. As the elder gentleman got out of his car I mentioned that we had the same car and he smiled as if to acknowledge the comment.

After we pumped our gas and the gentleman did the same we both returned to our cars. I noticed that he was delaying the exit from the pump area and then he got out of his car and walked to ours. We opened the window and put on our masks. He then said that his car would not start and that his wife had the key fob but she was shopping at Aldi up the block from Costco.

He was bewildered and wondered if we could drive him there. Of course we said yes.

Certainly we were somewhat troubled, what with the Covid-19 being rampant in our area, but he was so upset that our sense of kindness and charity kicked in.

As we drove him to Aldi he remarked that he was 85 years old and that his wife was 80 and that the Malibu was her car and thus she had the key fob in her purse.

We arrived at Aldi and he said that he would walk back to his car. Now, let me be frank here – he was 85 years old and there was no way he was going to walk back to Costco and his car. So, we waited for him to return from the store – he got into our car and we started the drive back to Costco.

He wanted us to drop him off at the driveway, but we insisted that we take him all the way to his car. He offered us money but of course we refused his offer.

This was something that we hope all good people would do in taking him to retrieve the key fob.

We returned to Costco later in the week and the attendant who was familiar with the incident thanked us for taking the elderly gentleman to his wife for the key fob. The attendant mentioned that several times a month people come in for gas – turn off their car engine – and then discover that they do not have the key fob.

Seems people drop off their spouse or child at the nearby mall and forget to take the key fob with them. And some are young people! So this is not just a senior citizen incident.

So, as a hint – next time you decide to travel to another location after you drop someone off at a store, make sure you have the key fob.

Or call us and we will drive you back to your traveling companion!

Bill Kalmar

Orion Twp.