The Cab Ride
So I walked to the door and knocked. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.
By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated'.
'Oh, you're such a good boy', she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice'.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' she asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said.
'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?
What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Caring
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Bear Ran Away Again
Saturday was Peach Days in here Brigham City. And this year we decided to go to the Parade. Now, the parade starts at 10:00 in the morning. So off we went.
Isn’t he cute. How could he ever do anything wrong?
But first…. Bear (the dog) went outside before anyone got dressed to “do his business”. Then, right before we left, we brought him inside.
Now, bear is a Chow/Husky mix. And quite possessive. And quite vocal about the whole thing. So we are very careful. And he is quite strong. I am no longer able to hold onto the leash when he runs away.
So now, whenever he moves from the house to the to his chain in the backyard, there is a rope that I use. One end is hooked to the chain outside and the other end is hooked to his collar. That way, when he decides to chase a cat I do not risk him running away or getting someone else’s pet.
Now here’s the problem…. If the cable hooked to Bear’s collar is not shut “under” the door when you leave, but into the “side” of the door, bear has figured out how to open the door. Bad Dog!! Bad Dog!! Bad Dog!!
So today when we got back from the parade the back door was open. And there was Bear. Grinning at us and wagging that bushy little tail.
So, how do you get angry with a dog who, while he may have left, he did come back. And he is so very cute.
What’s a girl to do??@??##?
Word of the Week: BEGIN
What is a beginning. I did really plan to start the beginning of a new life. But that is not what is happening. It seems that to start a new beginning, you need to have to have an end. And how often can you have a new beginning anyway?@#??
The name of my blog is “My New Life”. And that is where I started. What is the new beginning that I wanted. We all want changes in our life, but how do you decide what the beginning would be.
How do I want my new beginning to start.
I did want to travel. I even found an apartment in Anchorage. Of course, I do know that is not real, but it sure would be fun.
And who would not want to live there. Yes, it is a city. And I am sure there are lots of people. And, of course, there is SNOW!@!. But what is wrong with that.
It is September. And that is the time School starts around here. So let’s have our beginning right now. And just what am I beginning. We’ll have to wait and seen. I think I will start a new page. I believe one day a week I will continue the plan on my Beginning. We’ll just have to see where we go.