U.S. immigration perspective on American immigrant life: This gentleman, born in 1947, is named Thomas
Weller. Like many men, he has loved cars and machinery since he was a child. At the age of 16, while driving in Illinois, he encountered a snowstorm, lost control of the steering wheel, and became trapped in a roadside snow ditch.
Weller was nearing despair in the biting snowstorm when a car pulled over. A man got out and, with great effort, helped Weller pull his car out.
"The man refused any reward and, before leaving, told me that if I ever encountered someone in trouble, I must reach out to help."
The warmth of that timely help in the snow influenced Weller's entire life, even as his hair turned gray.
In 1966, he got his own car. From then on, whenever he had free time, he would drive along the highways near San Diego, California, and if he encountered someone with a broken-down car, he would immediately stop to help.
A reporter from CBS interviewed Weller and called him the "HIGHWAY MAN," which later became his nickname. If we translate it more coolly, we could call this nickname the "Highway Hero," echoing America's Spider-Man and Batman, as well as the Eastern "Pancake Man."
Some dashcam footage and media lenses have recorded some of Weller's good deeds; sometimes he is helping people change tires, sometimes he brings gasoline to cars stranded without fuel, and sometimes he gives directions to lost drivers. Just like the kind stranger he met at 16, Weller does not accept any reward. However, people still cannot help but give this kind man a hug.
Before parting, Weller would hand out his business card: "I am happy to help you. I do not need any reward. If you can help others when you encounter someone in need, that is the best reward for me."
Often paying for tools and gasoline out of his own pocket, Weller is elderly, has no one to rely on, and lives a frugal life. This Collie is his best companion.
Every time he drives out to help others, the dog sits in the passenger seat, acting as a good assistant.
However, on August 10, 2011, he and his dog nearly met with disaster. That day, as usual, he drove his car with his dog onto the San Diego highway and unfortunately was involved in a serious collision.
Fortunately, both man and dog were unharmed, but after an assessment, Weller was told that the car that had accompanied him for half a century was nearly totaled.
For a time, the Highway Hero was devastated, having lost not only his beloved car but also the inner peace and joy that came from helping others.
While Weller was feeling depressed, the news reached a filmmaker named Brent Foster, who was immediately moved by Weller's story and insisted on making a film about him.
Weller initially refused. Foster said: "Only by making a film and letting more people know about your deeds can I help you raise the money to fix your car!"
In addition to shooting the short film, Foster also helped Weller launch a crowdfunding campaign to repair the Highway Hero's car, which quickly gained a lot of attention and successfully raised over $10,000. Many of the donors were the very people Weller had helped.
A guy named Rick Moore also learned about this. Moore canceled all his family's recreational activities to focus on fixing the old man's car. He spent four months working on it, paid over $10,000 out of his own pocket to overhaul the engine, replace aging parts, and repaint the car, making it look as good as new. Moore told the Highway Hero, "I'll cover the repair costs; keep the money others raised for you for your future use."
After the car was repaired, Weller couldn't wait to get back on the road: "I'm almost 70 years old. I don't know how much time I have left to help others, but I want to do as much as I can..."
For someone who lives with kindness until old age, what else can we do besides wishing him a safe journey?