I’ve been spending lots of time outside, working in the yard, planting plants, organizing the potting bench, re-working beds, that sort of thing.
A couple of days ago, I was planting some new Lantana plants. They are hot-weather hardy, and very sturdy. The ones I bought recently are named “Hot-Blooded Red.”
The weather was nice, and I’d gotten lots of planting done. I have a wheeled, garden cart that I can sit on, so I don’t have to try to get up from the ground when I’m moving from place to place to put plants in beds or dig up weeds. I was putting those Lantana plants at the right-hand corner of the front of the house. There were three plants, and I was digging up the dirt and getting the small area ready.
I was diligent, working that dirt, pulling up any weeds that had taken root there, and arranging the three plants in the space.
But, I kept hearing, or I thought I was hearing, someone saying my name. It was eerie. It was bizarre. It was quite strange.
“Gayle.” “Gayle.” “Gayle, can you hear me?” “Are you all right, Gayle?”
So, the sound really wasn’t my imagination. But, what? Where? Why?
I finally realized that the sound was coming from the pocket at the front of my overalls. Hmmmm.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and saw, at the top of the screen, the numbers 911.
“Hello,” I said, a little startled. And someone responded, “Gayle, are you all right?”
“I am all right,” I responded, warily.
“We’re just checking on you, and making sure you’re okay.”
Apparently, I had pocket-dialed my phone. And I called 911.
“I AM SO SORRY!” I said, when I realized what I’d done.
“I’m working outside in my yard, and I am fine, and I guess the fabric in the pocket of my overalls dialed the numbers. I’m very, very sorry.”
The young man (and he sounded pretty young), was gracious and not at all angry (it seemed). And, frankly, I think he’ll have a really good story to tell to his co-workers, his family members, and his neighbors.
“Let me tell you about the time this lady (let’s hope he doesn’t say old lady) dialed 911 when her phone was in her pocket, while she was planting flowers.”
I guess I could use a piece of tape to attach an index card (trimmed to fit) to the front of the phone. I’d still be able to listen to podcasts and audio books while I worked. And, I’d be able to hear the phone ring, and could answer it.
I’m certainly embarrassed. I hate the idea that I took up time that a First Responder could certainly have used for some task that was much more important than chatting with me.
A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to receive eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?”
The man answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind’; and ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’”
“You are right,” Jesus replied; “do this and you will live.”
But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus answered, “There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead. It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side. But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity. He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Take care of him,’ he told the innkeeper, ‘and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.’”
And Jesus concluded, “In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?”
The teacher of the Law answered, “The one who was kind to him.”
Jesus replied, “You go, then, and do the same.”
Luke 10:25-37 (Good News Translation)
I don’t know where a 911 call goes when it comes in. I’m wondering if my pocket-dialed 911 would go to the Fire Station that’s closest to me. I should find out. I should take them some cookies.