JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Time now for "My Unsung Hero," our series from the team at the Hidden Brain podcast. "My Unsung Hero" tells the stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else. Today's story comes from Betsy Cornwell. In 1971, when she was 18 years old, Betsy started working the night shift at a computer assembly plant in Marlborough, Massachusetts. One night, at the end of her shift, she got into her car to go home and her key broke off in the ignition.
BETSY CORNWELL: And if you've ever worked that 3 to midnight shift, you know how fast a parking lot can empty out. Well, I wasn't quite alone because this man walked up to the car and tapped on the window, and he said, I notice you haven't gone anywhere - are you OK? And I showed him my broken car key. And his eyes lit up, and he said, I can help with that; I'm a car thief. I mean, it's just like he was telling me his name or that he was a brush salesman or something. He said, I'm a car thief (laughter). So I took a deep breath, and he said, you know, I can start your car for you, but I would have to follow you home because if you hit a bump, you might stall, and I'd have to start the car again. So I said, I need to call my dad. So fortunately, there's a pay phone there by the building, and I went, and I called my dad. And Dad says, yeah, sure - sure, I know, you know, when to expect you, and it'll be fine.
So we went back to the car. He started the car faster than I could have started it with my key, and off we went. So by this point, I am so flustered, I can't remember which way to turn when I get off the highway. I go one way, and I start driving down the road, and nothing looks familiar. So I made a U-turn and went the other way. And then I see these lights flashing behind me, so I stopped. And he came out, and he said, do you know where you're going? I told him where I lived, and he said, yeah, you're on the right track; you're going the right way. And we continued on down the road, right up to my driveway. He bid me a good night and drove off, and I never saw him again.
I know it's not likely that he'd be listening to this now, but if you are, it doesn't matter what you call yourself. To me, you are a hero, and I'll never forget you.
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SUMMERS: Betsy Cornwell lives outside of Portland, Maine. You can find more stories of unsung heroes at hiddenbrain.org.
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