Just Five Minutes...

11/3/2014

Last Wednesday evening, I was rushing around getting my chores done so I could head out to a sorting competition(more on that later). I was running late and I still had to move Bannie from the farm to a pasture at my grandparents house across the road.

I led him up to the road and waited for an oncoming car to pass so I could cross.

Instead of passing me, the car stopped in the middle of the road and an old man rolled down his window.

Man: Is that a Qrt Horse?

Me: Yes, he is.

Man: He's beautiful!

Me: Thanks! (to myself: I don't have time for this!)

Man: I love horses and this one looks really kind and gentle.

Me: He is.

Man: (leaning back in his seat) I have a new helmet in my back seat that I just bought. I haven't ridden a horse in twenty years, but I used to be into show jumping. I loved it. My wife got a closed head injury and I gave up riding to take care of her. She recently passed away and now at 72 years old I'm going back to my old instructor and I'm going to ride again!

Me: Wow! That's great! I don’t' show jump but I love to ride. (I really need to get going!!)

He smiled: I had a horse just like that one there once. She was a national champion in reining and she won lots of jumping competitions too. She was something else.

He then went on to name several of his past horses and sung their praises. I was really getting antsy, but I stood there and listened politely. All of this took place in less than five minutes.

Finally, a car showed up way down the road.

The old man looked Bannie up and down one more time, then turned to me. "You have a beautiful horse. Enjoy him and thank you for listening to me."

Before I could say anything he drove away.

As I led Bannie over to the new pasture, I thought about his last words. "Thank you for listening to me." All I did was listen and nod my head, but he thanked me for it! I got the impression that he was lonely and he was touched that someone just took the time to listen, if only for five minutes.

Five minutes.

I got to my competition with a little time to spare but even if I hadn't, five minutes wasn't that big of a deal. It was nothing to me, but it meant a lot to a lonely old man who loved horses.

Take time to listen…it could mean the world to someone and you might not even realize it.

6 Comments

mary jankowske

11/3/2014 12:15:09 pm

That is so sweet. Lauren, let me tell you about a 5 minute situation in my life. I was on vacation, Lk MI with Alex (he was about 9yrs old) we were fishing off the pier, a young man (maybe 29 and his young daughter (about 5)were fishing near us. This man caught a HUGE pike, I've never seen a fish that big. His daughter was so excited, he was going to throw it back, I asked him if he had a camera, he said no. He said it was the biggest fish he'd ever caught. I'm thinking to myself (I have a camera in my car, but I don't want to stop fishihng to go get it, but if it was my fish I'd want a pic of it) I hesitated leaving Alex alone (if only for a few minutes) but he promissed not to move from his spot. I told the man I would run to my car & get my camera. So I did, I ran back to the parking lot, then ran all the way back. I took a picture of him and his cute daughter holding the fish. He wrote his address on a piece of brown paper bag & I put it in my purse. I told him when I got home from vacation I'd mail him the picture. He thanked me. He tossed the huge fish back in the lake, just then his folks came down to the pier, he was telling them all about the fish & they didn't believe him. I said, "Yes, it's true I have a picture of it & I'm going to mail it to him." Well about a month passed and I forgot about the address in my purse, One day I saw it. I hurried up & got the film developed and mailed the picture to Chicago. About a 2 weeks later I got this tiny envelope in the mail with a return address of Chicago. (I had totally forgotten about the fish picture) I couldn't imagine a card from Chicago as I didn't know anyone from there. It looked like a small thank you card like the small cards people send as a thank you for visitation at a funeral or something. I opened it and there was a tiny card with a note from that mans fiancee, she explained that he had been hit & killed by a train, shortly after returning from that vacation. She included a newspaper article about it. And told me that that was the very last picture ever taken of him, and his daughter would cherrish it for the rest of her life. And she thanked me for taking the time to take that picture & mailing it to him. My eyes were full of tears and it gave me chills to read her letter. I ALMOST didn't take the five minutes to run to my car to snap that picture. But my heart told me to, and I am so glad I did. I believe the best gift you can EVER give someone is your time, be it a friend, family or complete stranger.

Lauren K. Lotter

11/3/2014 12:26:47 pm

Mary, what an incredibly touching story. There are so many examples/stories out there of how much it can mean to someone to give just five minutes of time...thank you so much for sharing.

David Bennett

11/3/2014 11:58:41 pm

I often stop to talk to folk when out walking my dog Suzi. It's nice to talk to strangers, it's something that "dog people" do but I wouldn't maybe talk so easily if I was out walking by myself.

Denalyn Johnson link

11/4/2014 01:26:01 am

That's a sweet story, Lauren! =)

bethany

11/4/2014 08:40:17 am

Our family has been studying the verse in Matthew about investing your treasures in heaven, and the best way to do that is to invest in the people around you. Thanks for the reminder Lauren and Mary.

Bonnie Matthews

11/5/2014 08:24:46 am

Both your experience and Mary J.s are ones that you will never forget. You never know the impact you can have on someone when you take the time you see a need. Thank you for sharing them.

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