my care2
make a difference

community & fun

shares

share your passions, stories, inspirations, and more

the Ride
Jan 2, 2006
STORY OF A CAB RIDE

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 am, the
building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice,wait a
minute, then drive away. But, I had seen too many impoverished people who
depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation
smelled of danger, I always went to the door.

This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to
myself. 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 80's stood before
me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on.
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

"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, 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, 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.

Ten things God won't ask:

God won't ask what kind of car you drove; He'll ask how many people you
drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people
you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many
peopled to clothe.

God won't ask what your highest salary was, He'll ask if you compromised
your character to obtain it.

God won't ask what your job title was, He'll ask if you performed your job
to the best of your ability.

God won't ask how many friends you had, He'll ask how many people to whom
you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation, He'll lovingly take
you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

God won't ask how many people you forwarded this to, He'll ask if you were
ashamed to pass it on to your friends.
(0) | () | | send green star | flag as inappropriate
Visibility: Everyone
Tags:
Posted: Jan 2, 2006 6:55am

 
 
 
Content and comments expressed here are the opinions of Care2 users and not necessarily that of Care2.com or its affiliates.

Author

Valerie l lurie
female, age 56, single, 2 children
Tilton, NH, USA
Shares by Type:
All (190) | Blog (7) | Photo (4) | Message (179)

Showing shares tagged with: cars [show all]
ads keep care2 free
SHARES FROM VALERIE'S NETWORK
Dec
26
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
LOS ANGELES -- Until the foam started flying, the Cleveland Cavaliers had everything under control while dealing the defending NBA champions a loss they should remember until summer.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
Shoppers returned to malls Saturday, rummaging through thinly stocked shelves hunting for deals, next year's Christmas gifts and, for most, gifts for themselves.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
JAIPUR, India -- More than 40 people are feared dead after a bridge collapsed while under construction in western India, police said Saturday as hope faded for finding survivors.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
WASHINGTON -- U.S. counterterrorism officials are scrambling to assess a potential new threat from an explosive mixture that evaded detection aboard a Detroit-bound airliner but failed to bring down the plane.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
TEHRAN, Iran -- A reformist Web site in Iran says clashes have erupted between security forces and opposition supporters in central Tehran.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
PHUKET, Thailand -- Buddhist monks chanted on white-sand beaches in Thailand and thousands prayed at mosques in Indonesia to mark the fifth anniversary of the Asian tsunami that left 230,000 people dead.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
ROMULUS, Mich. -- An attempted terrorist attack on a Christmas Day flight began with a pop and a puff of smoke - sending passengers scrambling to subdue a man who claimed to be acting on orders from al-Qaida, officials and travelers said.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican will review security procedures after a woman jumped a barrier and rushed at Pope Benedict XVI for the second time in two years, this time managing to knock him down before being pulled away by guards, the Vatican spokesman...
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  discussions )
KABUL -- NATO says an American service member has been killed in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan.
by HM S.
(0 comments  |  0 discussions )
WASHINGTON -- Democrats are troubled by the inconsistency of Republican lawmakers who approved a major Medicare expansion six years ago that has added tens of billions of dollars to federal deficits, but oppose current health overhaul plans.

Copyright © 2009 Care2.com, inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved