As I finished my work, the cable company car drove by and got stuck in the snow shortly after. That’s when I met Duane–he was on a service call to repair a client’s wifi connection.

When a heavy snowstorm hit the region, many homes lost internet service. Joe, a local resident, needed the internet for his work, so he called a repair company to fix his broken cable. Duane responded to an emergency call-out, but his GPS took him off course, and he became stuck and stranded. Despite the situation, he was still in good spirits.

I decided to help him out the best I could. I first suggested we use my Mercedes and tow his van to the main road. From there, it would take him up to three hours to drive home to Richmond. Duane smiled and told me he appreciated my offer but couldn’t go home since Joe still needed his help.

Despite being in a snowstorm for several hours, this young man never gave up. His determination, positive attitude, and willingness inspired me. We managed to pull him to Joe’s house a half hour later, and then I left.

While I was walking back, I remembered something. When I was Duane’s age, one of my jobs was installing cables. It was tough work! Suddenly, I felt compelled to highlight his positivity and resilience by rewarding him. So I turned around to give him a small gift for his never-give-up attitude. Duane’s already beaming smile intensified, and he grew more excited as he explained how much this meant to him. From then on, I made it my mission to go out during snowstorms, helping anyone in need.