Tuesday morning I caught a Marion man right in the act.

It was a random act of kindness.

I’d left my office and was headed to the convenience store, driving east on Main. Just as I approached Central Park, I noticed something on the two yellow lines between lanes.

I had to look as I drove past to see that it was a good-sized turtle. The creature had made it halfway across the well-traveled street and stopped to tuck himself inside the safety of his shell. From the way he held himself, I have no doubt he was terrified after crossing halfway while vehicles whizzed past or closely overhead.

Although I’m never going to join PETA, I do value the sanctity of life, even that of a reptile.

I looked in my rear-view mirror to see if I could simply stop right there, but saw three vehicles coming up behind me. I decided to find a safe place to pull over and help the little guy to the other side, but when I looked through the windshield to find such a place, I saw a gray SUV just ahead of me braking and pulling to the right on the bridge.

I eased up alongside him, put down my window, and asked if he was going to go help the turtle. He said he was.

I drove on to the convenience store. On my way back to the office, the turtle was gone and there was no sickening mess to indicate the turtle had come to harm.

I’m sure the man rescued the turtle out of harm’s way. Perhaps he simply took him to the south side of the road into the park. Perhaps he took the turtle to some other safe harbor. I can’t say I know exactly where the turtle ended up. I just know he did not end up dead.

I’m glad the man took a minute out of his busy day to save the life of another — even if the other had a life of seemingly small value.

Perhaps the random act of kindness done by the man in the SUV will inspire all of us to look around and do such small things as we are able to do to help those around us — even the humans who are sometimes judged to have lives of “small value.”

It often takes little to change the frightening or dangerous predicament another is in.

— Phyllis zorn