Broke woman was pulled over for speeding. What the trooper gave her instead of a ticket changed her life
When it seems like everything is going wrong in life, all one needs is someone to point them toward the direction of light. Many times, a simple word of acknowledgment or a listening ear can help provide the answers we are searching for. For then-20-year-old Abbie Rutledge, things were on a similar curve. The young woman was speeding in her vehicle when she realized a cop had spotted her and was coming towards her, per CBS News. However, instead of issuing a ticket for her to pay a fine, the man offered her something life-changing. Rutledge calls the encounter a “right person, right time, right words” moment. The woman was honest with Officer JT Brown and let him know she was broke and couldn’t afford the fine.
Instead of issuing a ticket or taking other legal action, Brown took a humane approach to the situation. He asked Rutledge to explain her situation to him and was keen on understanding why the woman was distressed. "And I told her, I said, 'Well, how about we talk about it then,'" Brown recalled. The duo then engaged in a serious conversation for 15-20 minutes. One discussion led to another and circling career paths, Brown made an observation. He noted that Rutledge had the potential to be a great nurse. After the conversation ended, he let her off with a warning. However, this warning had more to it. Brown wrote, “Promise me you'll go to scrub or nursing school, and slow down, and I won't give you a ticket.”
Something sparked inside of Rutledge after that encounter and she took the advice and goal seriously. "As soon as he left, and as soon as I got to where I was going, I started pushing myself toward that career and now I'm here," she exclaimed. The young woman completed a two-year surgical technology program at Bevill State Community College, and on her graduation, Brown came to stand by her side. "I wanted him to see the impression he made on me. Five minutes of talking to anybody, even if you don't know them, can make the largest impact on their life. You never know when it could happen,” Rutledge remarked. Now working as a surgical technician at the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital, she is proud and grateful.
Sharing a post on Facebook, her mother recalled the conversation she had with Rutledge when she spoke to Brown. “She was so excited when she called to tell me about that ticket. All I could think was speeding but she had gained so much more from that interaction. She said, ‘Mom, he talked to me for 10-15 minutes on the side of the road and I am putting this warning ticket in my glovebox and going to invite him to my graduation because I am going to school.’ He did something in 10-15 minutes that I had been struggling to help her with for 20 years!! I am forever grateful!!” the caption read. As Brown presented the certificate to Rutledge on her graduation day, he was nothing but proud. “She made my entire career worth it,” he exclaimed.