Man heroically saves dog from fire

It’s been hard losing my job as a publisher/managing editor/reporter.
But today I had something kind of miraculous happen....

I’ve been writing for a few other newspapers – which has been a total godsend. What’s different is how I don’t talk to the readers. In my previous role at the newspaper, our readers would come in every day and talk with me about the stories. The subjects of the stories would also visit, so excited to see themselves in the paper.

To lose that aspect of work has been hard....

As I sat thinking of all this, one of my favorite stories came to mind—when I met Melvin, a man who rescued his dog from a burning car.

The story was so memorable not just because of the content, but the aftermath and how this strong man decided to be positive even through this difficult moment. I’d been driving to work, when suddenly a car burst into flames. I couldn’t pull over for almost a mile, and once I did I was so worried I missed the story, I immediately started live-streaming the event, and ran over a mile in high heels just to reach the source of the smoke.

I messaged my boss, and she started watching the whole thing too from another state. Unbeknownst to me, my entire office even watched  as I ran on the side of the freeway, and then interviewed the heroic man. When I got to the office later that day, it was pretty hilarious to hear everyone’s comments—especially the “office mom” who vowed to buy me a reflective vest.

But what amazed me was what I found through that story! Who would have guessed that Melvin had survived another devastating fire, or that he would have such a powerful history to share (I’m sure it helped many other people who were experiencing hard times). And to think, I could have passed by the car and moved on with my day, but by running back I got: one of my favorite stories from 2018 to 2020, a new friend, AND the office had something to joke about (running in high heels)...for months.

Here’s that story:

Anyway, remembering the story brought a nostalgia, but also some sadness. I thought of how I’m still writing (which is wonderful) but I don’t always feel like I’m connecting with readers. That’s when I got an email.

“I really enjoy your articles.” The words flashed on the screen and my heart swelled. “Thanks for adding so much to our newspaper.”

I read the text over and over—feeling increasingly grateful to both a dear friend and the newspaper’s publisher who generously started putting my writing in that paper each week. I had no idea I would get emails too!

I responded,  telling this gracious man how much his message meant to me. How did he know that I needed to read those words at that exact moment?

I thought of the email, life, and Melvin again. Looking back, Melvin seems like some sort of treasure...waiting if I just had the stamina to run back to hear his story.. He was so inspiring, completely worth every bit of effort that it took to meet him. So much in life is that same way.

You never know what might be around the corner, but if you're willing to keep your eyes wide open, listen, or even chase dreams in high heels—life-changing moments can happen. Here’s to more adventures!

I can hardly wait to see what’s around the next corner.