Charlie and the Dump Station

I've been wanting to write about an experience from two weeks ago about a memorable encounter with an elderly man I met in the most unlikely of circumstances. As I departed the Manteca campground early in the morning to make my way to Yosemite, I stopped by the dump station to empty my holding tanks. I’m surprisingly comfortable with the whole “dump station” routine. Some people dread it, but I’ve learned to take it in stride. However, on this particular morning, I was having a lot of trouble getting my sewer hose extended to reach from my T@B’s holding tank to the dump station hole. On my third exasperated attempt, I looked up and saw a rickety RV pulling up right behind me. There was an older couple in it and they were getting in line to use the dump station after me.

I cringed thinking, “great, just what I need, an audience.” I immediately signaled to them I would pull away and let them go ahead of me because I was having trouble. The old man rolled down his window, smiled, gave me a wave and said with a raspy voice, “There’s no rush at all.” “How kind”, I thought. But I still wanted them to go ahead of me, so I could figure out what my problem was in peace without feeling rushed and observed. There is something oddly humiliating about feeling incompetent when you're literally trying to manage your own shit.

At that moment, the old man got out of his RV and started to walk towards me. “What’s the trouble?” He asked. “Well, I just can’t seem to get my hose to extend all the way to the dump hole. . . but I don’t want to hold you up, so please, go ahead of me.” He looked at the position of my T@B relative to the dump station hole. “Well, I see what your problem is. You’re not lined up. You’ve got to be lined up to get the flow going.” I thought to myself, “Well that’s a metaphor for life, isn’t it.”

At that point, he motioned for me to get back in my car and then he guided me in re-positioning my T@B so that my sewer hose connection was in perfect alignment with the dump station hole. By the time I got out of my car and walked around to the other side, Charlie was already attaching my hose and pulling the lever on my tanks. “There” he said. “NOW you’re in alignment. See how it flows?” “Yes", I said. "I sure do see.” I felt a rush of relief and gratitude that this kind man took the time to help me and give me this important teaching. “What’s your name?” I asked. “Charlie” he replied. “Well, Charlie, you are my angel for the day. Thank you so much for helping me.” “That’s what we’re here for” he said, smiling at me. I nodded. “It really is, isn’t it.” Then he asked me where I was headed, and I told him that I was making my way to Yosemite. “Ahh, Go with God,” he said, and he put his hand out to me. I took his hand and held it. “I will, and I am, Charlie. Thank you for crossing my path."