Helping each other

Nearly every winter we stop to help a car that has ended up in a ditch. This is very easy to do on the back roads of Sweden in winter because once the ditches are filled with snow the edge of the road becomes unclear.
We stop to help for all sorts of reasons…
It’s the right thing to do - we should help each other.
It’s fun to do - lots of wading around in deep snow, discussions, shouting instructions, and it’s a team effort.
It’s nearly always successful, and that feels good.
Once 2 or 3 cars stop to help the road is often blocked. If you want to get by, join in and get the problem solved as quickly as possible.
You are building up karma. If we help get this car out of the ditch someone will help us when we are in the ditch.
And so today it was our turn to get helped. I turned out onto the road through the village, swung just a little wide and the car gently slipped sideways into the ditch. I swore a little and got out to have a look. The right-hand side of the car was in deep snow so I fetched the shovel from the back and dug out the front wheel.
Then the post van arrived in the village. The post-lady jumped out, took a look and more-or-less snatched the shovel out of my hands, leapt into the ditch and dug furiously until the whole car was free of the deep snow. Then she and I pushed while Jan drove. Back, no that didn't work. Forward, no, not that either but it did seem a little more hopeful. We had a few more attempts and then she had to leave to carry on delivering post. She left with much thanks from us, and I walked home to get some gravel because the wheel on the road was spinning, and we were going to need some drive from that wheel.
Back at the car I found two of our neighbours waiting to help. One of them had a heart operation last spring so I was a bit iffy about him pushing the car, but he wasn't going to miss out on what he saw as this manly task! I piled gravel under and in front of the wheel.
Another car came by and stopped. A woman from social services (she’d been on a daily visit nearby) got out and joined us. We all pushed, Jan drove, and the car started coming up out of the ditch. I put more gravel down, Mrs social services gave Jan some advice (2nd gear - nice and slow) and… hooray… the car surged back onto the road.
We all stood around for a few minutes, congratulating ourselves, saying how many people had been off the road in the last few days and enjoying a few moments of community.
It’s good to help each other!