DEAR ABBY: I've enjoyed reading your letters from readers about acts of kindness, and I have my own to share:
My parents and I were towing a trailer along the East Coast. One evening just after dark, we arrived at a trailer park in Maine. On the way to our space, our trailer got stuck in a huge mud puddle. The more we tried to get it out, the deeper it sank into the muck.
Suddenly out of nowhere, a gang of men -- at least 10; it looked like an army -- came running up. One of them asked, "Are you having trouble?" We nodded frantically, and all of them got behind the trailer and freed it with one mighty push.
We were relieved, but there was still a problem. My father had been looking forward to a Maine lobster dinner for weeks. Now he feared that by the time we unhooked our truck and drove into town, all the seafood restaurants would be closed. One of our heroes heard Dad and handed him a set of keys. "Take my car," he said, and then he gave us directions to the best lobster place in town.
We had a fabulous feast that night. But what really impressed us was the spontaneous kindness of the folks at that trailer park in Ogunquit, Maine. Ever since, we have marveled at how quickly and generously they came to our rescue. It was the most memorable part of a great trip. --STILL SMILING IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR STILL SMILING: Well said. It isn't so much where you go, but the people you meet that make a vacation special.