I met Jim Garrison many years ago on the job I was working, and before mobile telephones were a part of our lives. One afternoon, we were screaming down the expressway at 70 miles an hour when we passed by a man standing in front of his vehicle with the hood up. Jim said, “We should go back and help that guy out”? I said, “I’m okay with that”. Jim got off at the next exit and back on the expressway. He turned into one of those “Emergency Vehicles Only” paths and crossed over to the other side of the expressway, got back on the expressway, and pulled in behind the man with the broken-down vehicle.  Jim got out of the car, and I could see that he was having a conversation with the man. The next thing I know, he had taken his suit jacket off and was rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt as he walked back toward the car. He opened the door, threw his jacket in the back, and said, “This is going to take a little time. Are you okay”? I replied that I was. Jim opened the trunk of his car and pulled out a small toolbox. He carried the toolbox to the man’s car and disappeared under the hood. A while later, I saw the man get in the car and start it up. Jim slammed the hood down and returned to our vehicle.  The man eased onto the expressway. Jim put the toolbox back in the trunk, and we were off again down the road.

A number of months later, I was with Jim again, and we were on a different road, but again flying down the road when we saw a man and a boy beside their car with the hood up. Jim looked at me, and I already knew that he was going to stop. Before he could speak, I said, “We should stop and help those people out”. Jim smiled and pulled in behind the man. He got out of the vehicle and had a conversation with the man. Jim returned to the car and said, “He’s out of gas, we need to get him some gas and bring it back, you okay with that?” I replied, “, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” We drove to the text town, filled a gas can Jim had in his trunk with gas and took it back to the man and what turned out to be his 9 year old son.

Again, Jim and I were on the road about a year later, and there was a young man, maybe in his 20s, standing beside his car with the hood up. By this time, Jim didn’t even need to ask; he pulled in behind the car, got out, and had a conversation with the man. The next thing I know, the young man is walking with Jim toward the car. The young man got in the back seat, and Jim got back in the driver’s seat. Jim introduced me and the young man and said, “We need to take Jeff here to the nearest garage, it seems his water pump has gone out of his car.” We drove to the next town to a garage where Jim knew the owner. Jim and Jeff went inside, returning about 20 minutes later. It seemed that the garage didn’t have the water pump, and it would take until the next day before the garage could get the pump. The young man had enough money to pay for the pump but not enough for a hotel and gas to get home. Jim invited Jeff to stay at his home for the night with a promise of bringing him back to the garage the next day once the car was fixed.

Over the years, I have known Jim to help many people stranded alongside the road; he never thinks twice about it, he just stops and helps. I am truly impressed and amazed by his helpful nature. I think he has been the miracle in many people’s backyards, and I want him to know that his help has been noticed.  Who is your miracle?