BOBBY ROMERO Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 The Cab Ride I’ll Never ForgetThis story, written by Kent Nerburn, The author confirms that this story is true.I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes, 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 1940’s 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 in a soft voice. ‘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 down 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. 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. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teresa82 Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8]Love never fails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmyreno Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 All I can say is thank you. That story was a perfect way to end a day spent in the doldrums. Do unto others... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puppylove Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 Thanks for the story!! It is a good reminder to slow down and enjoy life, for at the end, the memories you have are your most treasured possessions. Random acts of kindness are a blessing not only for the receiver but for the giver also! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danneedsrvnow Posted May 3, 2010 Report Share Posted May 3, 2010 Beautiful. Thanks for the positive story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mythunter Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 Do a good turn daily and your life will be richly blessed. Thanks for the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deacon Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 There is nothing like the moment. I live it every day.. I am A Veitnam vet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 jeez danimal...you owe me a case of kleenex..Awesome story. If we all behaved half that well, this world would have fewer problems.Thanks danimal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldminer Posted May 11, 2010 Report Share Posted May 11, 2010 Beautiful.Thanks for posting and reminding me.... Me wraped up in Me makes a very small package. What constructive contribution can I make with any gain made from IQD? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retirementafterrv Posted June 1, 2010 Report Share Posted June 1, 2010 good post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Racheal Posted June 15, 2010 Report Share Posted June 15, 2010 Nice, kinda gives you something to think about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danimal Posted July 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 jeez danimal...you owe me a case of kleenex..Awesome story. If we all behaved half that well, this world would have fewer problems.Thanks danimalOk ...deal.Thanks for your comments.It touches me too. My Mom doesn't have long to live and Im trying to cherish those memories. All of them.Nice, kinda gives you something to think about!Yes, It does.Thanks for your kindness.Danimal Thanks for posting and reminding me.... Me wraped up in Me makes a very small package. What constructive contribution can I make with any gain made from IQD?Just you being you can make a difference to those that love you and count on you.Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerald15 Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 Great, this is a reality to all of us with our parents. And for us someday. I lived this narration with my Mom in the Taxi. Thanks for being so nice with Mom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbutch Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 what a good bloke i for one would like to shake his hand , thanks danimal butch australia , ps not enuf old school pple left on this planet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adontik Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 I love this story so much.It seems so real to me because I'd do something just like that lady too if I was in her shoes.Think about all the memories that keep flooding back to her as she drove around.kinda like a bunch of polaroids.....I kept thinking how much my life in retrospect feels like the moments captured on all the Polaroids I kept looking at. It's just this series of flashes, isn't it? You wander around in the dark and then there's this flash and something gets caught in the light like a trap. Flash. A memory. Flash. A birthday. Flash. A series of chords on the piano. Flash. She laughs. Flash. A girl in a yellow hat. Flash. A sly smile at the door and a green dress. Flash. Something you should have kept. -Adam Duritz This story Inspires me to make more great memories.Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Continue to learn. Appreciate your friends. Do what you love. Love as is this is all there is. --Mary Anne Radmacher DanimalAwesome Post! Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon245 Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 Awesome Danimal. If there were more like you performing acts like that, the world would be a much better place. God Bless You! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danimal Posted July 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 Awesome Danimal. If there were more like you performing acts like that, the world would be a much better place. God Bless You!Thanks Sharon245!have a great weekend.Danimal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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