When I was 9 years old,my dad announced that we would be going on vacation. I was so excited! We had never been on a vacation before. Over the next week he worked on making a pickup truck camper shell out of boards, plywood, and tarps to fit on the back of his old truck, so our family of 5 could go on vacation through the Smoky Mountains, with the final destination being sunny Florida! Dad and Mom rode in the cab of the truck, and my brother, sister, and myself bounced around in the rickety swaying camper shell. We were very well behaved on the trip. The further south we got through the Smokey's the more excited we got! We had moved back and forth from Ohio to Tennessee a few times. We were used to the mountains and streams The ocean was what we were so excited about. Dad was never one to make many stops when we went back and forth to Tennessee, and our vacation was no exception. We did make a stop in Cherokee though, at a souvenir shop. As we climbed out of the back of the truck Dad handed us each a $5 bill as our a reward for behaving so well! Dad needed to stretch his legs out for a little while before we headed out again, so we looked at everything in the souvenir shop, trying to decide what to spend our $5 on. I guess I looked a little too long. I walked through the shop looking for my brother and sister...and mom....and my dad. I thought "They must have found what they wanted to buy, I bet they're in the truck. Ha ha! I still have my $5 ! I'll find something a lot better than what they chose when we get to Florida!" I walked outside to get in the back of the truck, but the truck wasn't there. Tears welled up in my eyes. I almost started to cry until I heard something behind me. I looked around to see an elderly man outfitted as a Cherokee Chief, head-dress and all, ready to pose for pictures. I asked him if he had seen my dad's truck. He said he saw it as it drove away. He sensed how frightened I was, and said "You can take my hand. I'm not leaving until he comes back for you... And he will come back for you.' And he did just that. He refused to be photographed while he was with me. He held my hand until he saw Dad's truck heading back down the road. I imagine he stood with me at least 2 hours. I've thought of him so many times through the years, He kept me safe when I was left behind. Such a gentle soul.. I will never forget his unselfish act of kindness. And, I have never forgotten being left behind, because every time Dad mentioned anything about taking another vacation, I would burst into tears... After watching Joe Dirt, I finally found the humor in my unfortunate event!