It was the weekend before finals, rainy, and a two-hour drive home from college to get a quick encouragement from my parents before all of my tests.

As I was pulling off the bypass just 10 minutes from my apartment on my way home, I felt a huge thump in the back of my car. I thought I had just run over a piece of loose pavement and kept driving. About 10 minutes later, I knew I had a flat tire.

As soon as I pulled into the nearest gas station, a couple in an old red Jeep pulling a fishing boat parked beside me. I was already embarrassed and was on the phone with my mom telling her I would be late and was calling AAA to come help me (because I’m 20 and don’t know how to change a tire). But, the man in the driver’s seat insisted that he help me. He called me “ma’am” and everything. I denied his service over and over again and then he finally told me to sit in his Jeep with his girlfriend -- again, a complete stranger.

My face was turning into a color not unlike a tomato, and I patiently sat in his vehicle and made small talk with his girlfriend. Turns out that they were both from my college and were on a fishing trip that day. Cool. We kept talking and within five minutes a truck pulled up, then another, then another. They were all stopping to help me with my tire. I was impressed, to say the least.

All of the men stood around and helped each other out, pulling tools out of truck beds and talking about trucks and other things I don’t understand… It took a while because apparently my tire was on really tight. I kept trying to help and see if they needed anything, but anytime I got out of the Jeep, they told me to not worry about it.

I had never experienced something like that first-hand. I had always seen it in movies or in books. But, I learned that Southern Hospitality really is true, and I’m so thankful for it.