As I write this I am sitting in my truck on the way to Lillooet from West Kelowna, no I’m not driving. Half an hour ago I stood in front of Lieutenant Governor of B.C. and been the most uncomfortable I have ever been in my life. Some of you know why but for those who don’t here’s the story.
Just before Christmas 2016 I was laying in bed when I heard my wife yell from the front porch “Are you okay?” Curious I
Went to see what she was yelling at. She had heard a screech and a crash and thought a truck went into the ditch just past the intersection near our house. I asked if I should go see which resulted in me throwing on my Muppet pants, Undertaker sweat shirt and work boots and hoping in the truck.
I found the truck four wheels in the air in the ditch doors wedged shut. The owner of the property was already there and another motorist had stopped and was on the phone with 911. The driver was free of his seat belt but stuck inside. The property owner went up to his house to find something to break a window. The driver was understandably cold, wet, scared and yelling to break the window. So I kicked it. I kept kicking it until it gave in, cleared the glass out and helped the driver squirm through the hole and up on to the muddy ditch. At this point I’ve been dressed about 10min. The property owner reappeared with a hammer and the first responders began arriving. I met the panicked wife of the driver, he had called her from inside the truck and I can’t imagine her abject terror since he was both alone at the time and in a flooding truck.
I gave my statement to the police and fire department, assured the wife it was not a big deal and went home. Muddy boots, dirty Muppets and a handful of small cuts from the glass. During our annual Boxing Day brunch with my family the driver came by with a small gift and a slew of thank you’s.
I didn’t, and still don’t, feel I did anything that special, others do. The Thursday before Easter I get a phone call from the RCMP, someone had heard of the incident and the RCNP wanted permission to divulge my information. If I hadn’t given it this story would be over. I was in Hope a few days later coming back from Lillooet and I got a call from The Royal Canadian Humane Association. They wanted to check the story, so I told them what I told you minus the Muppet pants bit. Come July I get a letter informing me I was invited to receive recognition for 10min of my life. Here’s where I get uncomfortable.
One of my best friends is a paramedic and fire fighter, another good friend is a career RCMP officer. They do far braver things for a living. There are far more deserving deeds in their lives, one of my proud Dad moments is that my eldest daughter sees it the same way. At this point both of them have corrected my outlook to a degree, they weren’t alone either but it did nothing to make it more comfortable.
Three hours in the truck Friday morning did nothing for my comfort level, not even the stories on Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard calmed me down. So the best thing to do is jack up the discomfort. Upon arrival I discover I’m not getting a certificate I’m getting a medal…wtf. But wait there’s more!
Let me run down the deeds of the other honourees; 3 ELEVEN year old girls saved two drowning victims at Crescent Beach, 2 men rescue people from a lake, 2 brothers rescue a friend from a river, 2 men rescue a couple from a flaming car, 2 men rescue people from a flaming trailer, 2 cadets rescue friends from a tent fire, a police officer teams with a civilian to rescue boaters from the ocean, a police officer rescues a woman from the Fraser River, a man stops a home invasion/mutilation/rape just because he happened to be walking by and the one that really got me, the mother that accepted the award for her son who died trying to save his friend from an icy river snow mobile accident. I sat there stunned that 10 min of my life had me in their company and not all of them got medals.
I am humbled and honoured to be a part of this. I do understand the concept, I am grateful that something I did was taken so seriously. I don’t know how it ended up this way but it did. I’m just glad the dude made it to Christmas.
themattharding 