With only one chance to experience the world, everyone has to sort out their priorities. Often, people are willing to fight for joy, fulfillment and love — but not Sandra Neese. In fact, days ago, the Ohio woman paid the ultimate sacrifice for her one true guiding light — politeness.
While Neese reached the entrance of Columbus, Ohio's finest Denny's, she would never step foot inside. Instead, she held the door open for the person behind her, only to never find the right time to step away from her purely self-assigned duty. After six days and countless people entering with no more than 10 feet in between, the dearly beloved acquaintance of many passed away due to dehydration.
James Sway, an Ohio State fraternity member, was one of the last people to see Neese alive.
"Me and the boys pulled up to Denny's at around 3 a.m. on Saturday. As you can imagine, we were pretty crunked," beamed Sway. "Anyway, we got there and this woman was holding the door open. She looked insanely tired, had super dry lips and was acting all dizzy — but she was like 30 and not that hot, so I didn't really think anything of it," remembered Sway.
Those who were there earlier remember the deceased as friendly and strong.
"I've known her since way back — Monday," said Lee Rike, one of the first to walk through the door held open by Neese. "Right away, I could tell two things about her. One, she was smiling at me. Two, she was doing a really solid job of holding the door open — it was slightly windy, but you wouldn't have been able to tell by looking at her."
Rike went on to describe the impact Neese had on his life as "unshakably subtle," noting that her smile "actually felt a little forced." Nonetheless, the landscaper counted himself as grateful to be one second closer to ordering a Moons Over My Hammy® that morning.
For some, Neese was an inspiration. For others, she was even the solution.
"I got there Thursday afternoon and she looked like she could really use a nap or at least some water. I thought about taking the door over, but I saw more people coming behind me and thought 'You know what, Leah? This is your sign to slow down and take care of yourself first.' But then I forgot to bring her water," said local Leah Tritt.
Even in death, Sandra Neese continues to make an impact. After being found dead later Saturday, those who discovered her didn't just call the authorities and move on with their day — instead, they let her continue what she started.
"We saw a body in the doorway and just thought 'Eh, it's a Denny's.' We moved 'er out of the way and used the weight of her body as a doorstop," said Eric Kitz. "Nobody seemed to mind, but then she started looking kinda blue and bloated, which took away from the dining experience."
Now, four days into replacing a $5 rubber wedge with her lifeless husk of a human body, Neese has finally done what every little girl dreams of — nothing wrong.
Photo courtesy of Amtec via CC BY-SA 2.0
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