One stifling summer day in San Antonio, Texas, a baby was accidentally locked in a parked car. The mother and the aunt ran around the car in near hysteria, while a neighbour tried to unlock the door with a clothes hanger. To add to their distress the screaming child began to turn purple and foam from the mouth. Fortunately, Fred Arriola, a tow-truck driver, arrived on the scene, grabbed a hammer and smashed a side window, freeing the baby just in time. Now you’d expect he’d get hero treatment from the two women. Not so. The child’s mother actually attacked him for breaking the car window.
It’s so easy to lose our sense of perspective and forget there are some things you can replace and others that are irreplaceable. Knowing the difference is one of life’s most important lessons.