Texas Man Goes Into Storm To Take Care of Elderly Neighbors
These days, a sense of community and neighborly support is becoming increasingly rare. Many of us don't even know our neighbors; the extent of our relationship relegated to a quick wave if we happen to cross paths.
But luckily for this elderly couple, they seem to have hit the jackpot when it comes to neighbors.
A woman who goes by @ahhcarrizaa on TikTok shared a series of heartwarming video clips of her hero-husband — literally braving a hurricane — to make sure their elderly neighbors are taken care of.
And now? He's everybody's hero.
TikTok Video of Hero Husband Goes Viral
@ahhcarrizaa ❤️ Always check in with your neighbors, especially if they are elderly and dependent on special machines #husband #greenflags #goodman #neighbors #foryou #houston #texascheck #hurricaneberyl #hurricane #fypシ゚viral #beryl #united #htx
Recently, tropical storm Beryl ripped through Houston, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
The torrential downpour accompanied by battering winds transformed roads into rushing rivers, and downed trees and power lines, knocking out electricity for more than two million customers across Texas.
Including @ahhcarrizaa and her neighbors.
As soon as the power went out, her husband immediately fired up the generator...only he didn't do it for them.
Knowing that their elderly neighbors have life-threatening medical issues and rely on medical devices to survive, he proceeded to drag the generator across the street, in the heavy rain, to the neighbor's house.
His wife captured his wholesome gesture on video and posted it on social media where it quickly went viral with nearly 8 million views.
"❤️ Always check in with your neighbors, especially if they are elderly and dependent on special machines," @ahhcarrizaa captioned the 10-second video.
In the text overlay, she wrote:
"My husband's green flag: When our power goes out, he fires up the generator so our elderly neighbors can still run their medical devices."
He Just Keeps on Giving
@ahhcarrizaa ❤️ He got them plugged up and good to go #husband #greenflags #goodman #neighbors #foryou #foryoupage #storm #beryl #houston #fypシ゚viral #hurricane #hurricaneberyl #texascheck
In a second TikTok video, her husband goes out in the storm again, this time navigating several downed tree branches to bring his neighbors an extension cord.
The text overlay reads:
"My husband's green flag: he gets out in the storm to give the elderly neighbor an extension cord so they can still use their medical devices."
"He got them plugged up and good to go," @ahhcarrizaa explains in the caption of the post.
Needless to say, people are loving his wholesome acts of kindness and praising him for his efforts.
"That's A GOOD MAN Savanah A GOOD Man 🥰👏"
"Marry him AGAIN.!!!!😩😍"
"He's out there saving lives and nobody knows! That's a superhero!"
"When my dad was in hospice, 3 days before he passed away, our power went out and he only had a small tank of portable oxygen left. thank you for doing this."
Showing Up When You See a Need
This is what community is truly all about: neighbors helping neighbors. It's people looking out for each other and doing what they can to make life a little easier for one another.
Because the reality is that some of the most impactful moments in life come from simply showing up when others need us.
Whether it’s offering a helping hand during a crisis, lending an ear to someone who’s struggling, or just reaching out to our neighbors with more than a passing glance, stepping up to meet a need can make a profound difference.
*Featured image contains photo by Ron Lach
The Circles of Life: Why You Must Travel to Challenge Your Prejudices
Some people think travel is a luxury. That isn’t necessarily true. While there is a definite cost to being on the road, I believe the reward far outweighs it. To me, travel is a necessity. Not because I’m looking for a high. I travel because I need to dispel my prejudice and come to a fuller understanding of humanity.
Why You Must Travel to Challenge Your Prejudices
Let’s say that your home is the center of an imaginary circle, the radius of which is the furthest distance you’ve been from home. Now imagine, for simplicity’s sake, that every time you stayed at a new place for more than seven nights, you formed a new circle, the radius of which is the furthest distance you’ve been from the center of that circle. We’re using seven nights in this instance because it’s the amount of time it takes before you consider something you do a “habit” (though others suggest it can be longer). For example, if you brushed your teeth seven nights in a row, you’ve formed a habit -- at which point not brushing your teeth makes you feel incomplete. The point is that after staying at a new place for a certain number of nights, it would have become a new “home.”
Within these circles, stories of people’s lives, their culture, experiences, emotions, food and way of living become a part of your story. The longer you stay in these circles, the more you understand about the intrinsic values of the community and how they perceive the world. The more you understand, the clearer the circle becomes.
It is possible that while learning about the people within a particular circle, you will also learn of intriguing places far away, of bizarre traditions and strange customs. Because of this exposure, you start to form fuzzy circles of understanding about the places you’ve heard about secondhand. You might even form opinions and prejudices about those places based on these external accounts.
Finding our common bond
The problem is that for some people, these fuzzy circles are all they know. By not going to these places themselves, they can only imagine what life must be like there based on stories they've heard in the media or from their friends.
For some, their curiosity will take them to these places. By going there and immersing themselves in that place’s culture, they learn about that locale’s story, and a connection is established. The veil of mystery is lifted and these curious individuals develop a clearer picture.
The more you travel, the more of these circles become clearer to you. Then, magic occurs when these circles intersect. Because within these intersections, the common bond of all the individual circles begins to surface. It might even become apparent that the differentiation between “your story,” “my story,” and “their story” loses its hold: “my story,” “your story,” and “their story” become “our story.”
We all dream the same dreams
It is within these intersections that humanity’s story steps into the spotlight. Perhaps one would even realize that we’re not so different after all; that we all wake up hoping, wishing, and striving to find our own happiness; that the tears that fall from your eyes are the same that fall from mine; that pain, sadness, pleasure, happiness, excitement, and the spectrum of human emotions are shared between us; that at the end of the day, we wish for nothing more than to share a few peaceful moments of life with our friends and loved ones.
It is within these intersections that myths are dispelled and prejudice gives way to understanding. It’s where love and respect are nurtured.
If you are able, take that trip you’ve been thinking about. First-hand experience of different cultures is the remedy to fear. Form your own circles of understanding, and perhaps you might come to the same intersecting conclusion that I’ve laid bare.
I travel for the taste, the sight, and the vibrant sound of a peculiar culture -- but for all my might, I haven’t been to a place that I haven’t felt at home. Imaginary borders and walls may separate people, but our shared humanity will bring us together. This is why I travel. Shall we go together?