User Submission: More Than A Doorman

About three weeks ago I was on a bicycle ride around the Willamette River in my new home state of Oregon. I’d decided, since I’m soon coming up on my 60th (WHAT!!? when did THIS happen) birthday, I wanted to get out and be active for as long as I still could.

Coming around the bend on mile 8, cutting through the parking lot of the River View Hotel, a beautiful 5-Star Hotel on the banks of the Willamette and while adjusting my backpack, I lost my balance and crashed. Hard. Lying on the concrete, bike on top of me, I couldn’t decided if I was more hurt or embarrassed. A van stopped behind me, a young man inside asked if I needed help. I did. I said, “no, I”m okay” because I’m only 59 yrs old for gosh sakes. I’m fine. Then I looked down at my leg. Blood and scrapes. Not to mention the cracking noise I heard upon landing. Uh, yes, I guess I could use a band aid and something to wipe the blood away.

I got up and sat on the wall in the driveway while waiting for him and that’s when I felt my elbow. SAW my elbow. Broken. Five times larger than normal. Andrew, (this was the name on his nametag) came out with wipes and bandages to help clean me up. He brought my bike to the front of the hotel (in between still being the perfect employee, greeting guests of the hotel), sat me down in the lobby of this grand place (there goes the neighborhood, you should have seen me) and brought me a bag of ice and a towel to wrap it in. Like I said, all this in between parking cars and greeting guests.

I was soon picked up by a friend, I thanked Andrew through my shock and am now 3 weeks into recovery. A few days later, I sent an email to the manager of the hotel commending them on such a steller employee and kind and caring young man. I never heard back from the manager and I’m hoping he didn’t see Andrew’s kindness as slacking off on his job as doorman. I’ll have to get back there to make sure he still has his job.

Thank you Andrew. You are my hero and I don’t know what I would have done without you.

Janis Reid

(image via Life Cycle Adventures)