Following the death of a California Highway Patrol officer, a man remembered him by sharing a touching Facebook post about their pleasant encounter that ultimately helped him become "a better man."
Paxton Brewer, 45, was hitchhiking back to his home in Alameda, CA, when CHP Officer Nathan Taylor stopped him. Brewer's immediate thought: he was about to be "harassed" by an officer.
Instead, however, the officer showed him compassion. He offered Brewer a ride and engaged in conversation for the 45-minute drive. It became a ride Brewer would never forget, but he never got the chance to repay him since Officer Taylor died weeks later.
The married father of three was injured in the line of duty on March 12, 2016, when an SUV slammed into him in snowy conditions on the highway. He passed away the following day at the age of 35.
Brewer shared his life-changing encounter with Officer Taylor on Facebook upon hearing of his death — it quickly went viral, being shared more than 69,000 times.
Read his full post below…
"I knew Nathan for about 45 minutes. Two weeks ago, I was hitchhiking at Donner Summit after a failed backcountry ski trip. Nathan’s CHP cruiser rolled up and I thought, 'Here we go, I’m about to get harassed by the cops.'
Nathan rolled down the window and asked if I was all right. I leaned in and told him I was OK, and gave him my story. He asked if I wanted a ride, and I gladly accepted.
In the next 45 minutes we talked, laughed and shared stories. He told me about his wife and kids, his time working in San Jose, and how he loved working up in the mountains away from the city. When he dropped me off, he gave me his personal phone number and told me to call him at 6:30 if I hadn’t gotten a ride — he would pick me up after he got off work and drive me to family in Sacramento. I texted him later in the day to tell him that I had been picked up and thank him. He texted back 'All’s well that ends well. Glad you made it.'"
"Nathan Taylor was a good man. He was kind, and giving, and he wanted to help. He challenged my prejudice against the police. He inspired me to be a better man.
I have found myself thinking about how I could repay his kindness in the last couple of weeks. About bringing him a 6 pack of beer, or writing the CHP to commend him. I thought about looking him up when I was in the area and offering to buy him dinner. I thought about becoming his friend."
"And then I read in the newspaper today that he had been killed on duty this weekend — hit by a car while investigating another accident. And I was, I am, crushed. Buying him a 6 pack or dinner seems so small in scope now. I am sharing this in an effort to broaden that scope. To repay him by inspiring others to be good.
Be a good person. Be kind to strangers. Go out of your way to help them when you can. The time for this is now, not later. Later may never come. The measure of your life is your impact on other people. Make it count.
You made a difference, Nathan. Thank you."
Watch the video below, and please SHARE to not only remember the fallen officer, but to also encourage others to exude similar compassion!
