About the time I got back to my car a gentleman, Mr. Carl Royster, walked up and asked if I needed help. I told him that the engine wouldn’t turn over and he said, “Oh, I can take care of that.”

He went back to get his truck and a pair of jumper cables. He then cleaned the battery terminals and hooked his battery up to mine. It still wouldn’t start so after some more testing he offered to take me to Auto Zone to get my battery tested and to buy a battery if necessary.

In the mean time the first lady returned and asked if she could help. I thanked her and she wished us luck and left. While we were working, at least six people came by and offered to help or to take me somewhere to get a battery. My wife, sitting inside McDonald’s, said she was offered help by five or six more people.

Mr. Royster took me to Auto Zone, I bought a new battery, we came back to the car, installed it, and solved the problem.

Mr. Royster worked with me almost two hours and asked nothing for his time. Of course, I insisted on paying him but I could never repay him for his demonstration of how to be a Christian neighbor.

Maybe this was not as dramatic as the Bible story about the “Good Samaritan” but it touched me. In my book Mr. Royster is a Good Samaritan. In fact, Oxford must be full of Good Samaritans..

Oh, did I mention that Mr. Royster, a mechanic, is 82 years old and that he is part of a group of men who make it their mission to help others. I’m sorry but I don’t know the name of the group.

I hope I can be more like Mr. Royster in the future. Sometimes we forget how important it is to be a good neighbor. I know I have not been as helpful as I could have been in the past.

Wilburn D. “Rusty” Draper

Roanoke Rapids