Shared Experiences and Unlikely Heroes

Have you ever been touched by the kindness of a complete stranger during a time of need? Picture this: a young couple, expecting their first child, faces a moment of terror when a disgruntled employee makes a veiled threat over a $35 paycheck discrepancy. Join me, Linden Wolfe, on "Here for the Memories" as I recount the nerve-wracking incident that brought an unexpected hero into our lives—the compassionate police officer who stood by my wife's side, reassuring her with the understanding that only someone walking in similar shoes could offer.

In this episode, I take you on a journey through the joy, fear, and ultimate triumph that marked the arrival of our son, Samuel. Experience the anticipation and overwhelming emotions that come with welcoming a new life into the world at Baptist East Hospital, affectionately known as the Baby Factory. This heartfelt story is a testament to human resilience, the bonds of shared experiences, and the surprising ways in which strangers can become beacons of hope. Tune in to hear a tale that will not only touch your heart but remind you of the profound beauty found in simple acts of kindness.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Here for the memories thought-provoking audio memoir shorts filled with stories, humor, anecdotes and commentary on social, cultural, business and religious issues. Whatever Lyndon remembers and thinks will entertain, challenge and inform is a possible subject. The collection of memories about one's life allows for the development and refinement of a sense of self, including who one is, how one has changed and what one might be like in the future.

Speaker 2: 0:46

I'm Linden Wool and welcome to here for the Memories. I hope you're doing well and I'm glad you stopped by. Earlier today I shared a story with a colleague that I would also like to share with you. It's a memory that is dear to my heart, one of hope and promise things that we all need. At the time of the story, my wife was several months pregnant and I was only 27 years old. I was working as an area manager for a staffing company with operations in southeast Memphis and northern Mississippi. I probably had more responsibilities than I'd earned at such a young age, but it was a good job, a job that I enjoyed, and it supported us well during our early years.

Speaker 2: 1:31

My company specialized in the light industrial sector, where the workers were known to be quite protective of their earnings. But who isn't right? Don't mess with my money. Well, one employee believed he had been underpaid by $35 on his paycheck and he felt my team was not giving him the response he needed, and that response was his money. While this may not seem like a large sum, it could make a significant difference for someone living paycheck to paycheck in 1988.

Speaker 2: 1:59

Back then, phone directories were a thing I'm dating myself now. They listed your name, address and phone number for anyone to see. You could opt out, but most people didn't and it was kind of difficult to do. Well, anyway, on that payday the man found my home address and phone number and decided to use them to his advantage. He called my wife and made a veiled threat on my life in order to get the full payment he believed was owed to him. Unable to reach me, my wife was understandably frightened and she called the police. When the officer arrived at our door, it was clear he did not take the threat lightly. Well, I was out making sales calls. That's why she couldn't reach me. I wasn't using my cell phone because back then here I go again calls were being charged by the minute and could get quite expensive. So when I returned to the office, my colleagues and my team informed me that my wife was with the police and there had been a potential threat. They also told me that the man had been paid, but I had no idea what they were talking about.

Speaker 2: 3:06

Anyway, I rushed home and, upon arriving, saw the police car parked outside. At this point the officer had been there for at least two hours, maybe longer. As I entered the house, I saw that she was gone, and then she proceeded to explain everything to me and then mentioned how frightened she was not knowing of my whereabouts and you know she was pregnant as well. She also expressed uncertainty about whether this man was capable of the violence he had threatened. The police officer had sat with her with unwavering patience, which I found remarkable. When he was finally able to leave, I couldn't help but ask him why he had stayed so long in a situation that seemed to have been resolved. He replied that his wife was at the same stage of pregnancy as mine and he would have wanted someone to stay with her. If they were in the same situation, they were particularly excited because this was their first child. It was ours as well. With that, he drove away.

Speaker 2: 4:05

Just three or four months after that, baby Samuel came into the world, my first child, a child that I'd hoped for. A longing that had come true. The delivery went smoothly, even though it ended up being a C-section, and thankfully, samuel entered the world with good health, but also with an abundance of noises. I was overcome with joy as I stood outside the nursery at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, affectionately known as the Baby Factory due to the high number of deliveries each year, my heart raced with anticipation. Through the glass I could see rows of incubator-like contraptions, something similar to plexiglass-covered bassinets, each one holding a precious little baby. I scanned the labels intensely, searching for the one that would bear my name, the name of one who would hold so much promise Samuel. I gazed into the room feeling an odd presence, but was unaware of anyone else nearby. Yet there was another man, just a few feet away, staring intently into the same room in search of his child of promise, his hope. I glanced at him and a vague memory surfaced in my exhausted brain. He looked oddly familiar, so I asked him if we met before and he responded yes, I believe we have. As he spoke, it clicked. We had met at my home on that chaotic day when my wife called the police. He was the officer who stayed with her until I returned from work. Here we were again, drawn together. Same purpose a child of promise and a hope that had become true.

Speaker 2: 5:52

Have you ever experienced coincidences that were just too coincidental just to be a coincidence, instances so rare and unique that they made you question if there was some higher force at play guiding your steps and the steps of others around you where no amount of logic could explain the events.

Speaker 2: 6:12

These moments have happened to me multiple times, reminding me that I do believe in a divine orchestrator of my life and the lives of those who impact my life's journey, one who has placed me in special and unexpected places with special and unexpected people, guided me, protected me and even reintroduced me to the police officer who was willing to protect my pre-born child.

Speaker 2: 6:38

To me, this is evidence of a God who uses ordinary people as instruments of his providential mercy and grace, and that is one of his immutable promises to his children. As you look back over your life and recall incidents like this, how do you account for them? Do you believe both your past and future is built on random chance? I once believed that, until the improbability of that overwhelmed me. More importantly, I found that my life was better built on a loving divine orchestrator than the cruel master of fate. I do hope that you come to the same conclusion Until next time. I'm Lyndon Wolfe, and this has been here for the Memories. Until you join me again, I encourage you to recall hopeful memories that remind you that there is a divine plan for your life. That was a great way to end it, thank you. Thank you, bye.