General Chat

to ponder -

Sometimes we forget the affect we can have in people's lives - to us it's just another day, or just our job. To some, it's a pivotal moment in their lives... THE CAB RIDE Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., 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 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, 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 wasmalready 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. PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT 'YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT ~ THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

what a really touching story Brought a tear to the old eye Maureen x

It's what makes the world go round isn't it Felicity:))

you made me cry - that's so so beautiful!! xx

if only there were more people like you in this world.......it might make it a much better place to live. bless you

:-)

that was touching so glad it was you just what she needed

Just to set the record straight, it wasn't me that did this, I was just passing on a lovely story.

Illustrates the point very well, it takes just a little of our time but if we can spare that from our busy lives, what a difference it can make to a fellow human being. One day the tables might be turned and we might need that extra effort. Liz

That's so nice, I thought I would share it with my M-i-L as well. Bev

Do you know that reaaly made me sad;;;;but the happy sad that the person took time out to do that for others;; Must be one SPECIAL person cause not many do that today;; Hope I ever get that if I need that kind of journey;; I was in the Registras yesterdsay and there was a girl wanting a D/C;; she was upset, and I asked didnt she know how to fill in form ;;, No wasnt that she was £1 short of money thought they would be about £4;;;(we wish) So I gave her £1 ;;; she said NO I couldnt ;;; I told her for gods sake if I could not help out with £1 then what a poor world this is;; Like to think that brightened her day ;;;; hope so;; Babs

That was a lovely thing to do, Babs. I'm not sure where the story originated, Christine, but it was sent to me in an email. I remember some years ago too, of something that happened when I was on a bus. The driver had stopped at a bus stop and an elderly man was struggling to get off the vehicle. The driver got out of his seat to help the old man down and a man also waiting behind to get off began to 'tut' at the delay. The driver looked the 'tutter' straight in the eye and said, 'Take it easy, my friend. If you're lucky you might get to be old one day.' The old man whispered 'Thank you,' and the other had the grace to blush and apologise. Several lives were affected in a positive way by that driver's actions. It's so true - little things can mean a lot.