Admittedly, I'm a bit behind on many aspects of "cultural literacy"!
I had been nervously waiting for him for since I asked him to come. I made plans in my head in case he did not come and even though I had allowed more than enough time, I wondered if I would make it and I wondered what would happen if I missed my connection?
I carefully put my two pieces of luggage on the porch and then moved them next to the porch and then moved them closer to the end of my driveway. I went in to brush my teeth, again, and to try to relieve my anxiety that was mounting by the minute. What if he were a criminal or, I don't know, going to steal my bags (full of books and achievement tests)!
He arrived right on time in a Toyota with a license plate that matched the number relayed to me on my phone. He stopped carefully and jumped out of the car introducing himself and showing me his ID before I even asked. He seemlessly opened his trunk and loaded my luggage asking in a joking fashion, "Do you have a body in here?"
His accent was heavy, yet he made carefully articulated small talk first clarifying to goal of our trip and later sharing a bit of his own story working as an apprentice lineman for Verizon and driving for Lyft when he can in order to save funds to attend the University. His dream was to study to be an electrical engineer like his brother who now works for Google.
After learning I was a teacher, he shared how he learned English from watching TV with subtitles in his native language. He talked of The Big Bang Theory, his favorite show, and how he watched it again and again until he could retell whole shows.
The ride flew by and before I knew it, and before I was ready for the ride to end, it was over. I knew it was unlikely that our paths would cross again and yet I knew he had given me a faith in this new system of transportation. He had also renewed my faith in this new crop of hard working first generation Americans who are working to reshape now only their own lives but how we all live and travel from place to place.
I'm participating in the SOL March Writing Challenge.
https://twowritingteachers.org/2020/01/16/sol20overview/
Here's the link if you want to join:
https://twowritingteachers.org/2020/03/01/day-1-sol20/
Here's the link if you want to join:
https://twowritingteachers.org/2020/03/01/day-1-sol20/
I'm planning to write a little slice of my life each day in March.
I'm also going to encourage new bloggers as a member of the Welcome Wagon.
6 comments:
You know, I have never taken a Lyft or an Uber. We've talked about when on vacation, but have never actually tried it. Have always been a little nervous about it. I'm happy you had a great experience your first time.
It sounds like you took quite the leap of faith and came out with an even better story to tell. I'm glad you had a positive experience with ride sharing!
What a great story and how hard that guy must be working! I hope he achieves all that he dreams of doing! Such an uplifting slice!
I participated in the Gig economy for awhile as a grocery shopper. It was really stressful for my personality since I felt like I was employed by a faceless bot and people who had no time to know me personally but just as someone who could navigate variables that I couldn't control. Your nervousness about employing a Lyft driver shows that we are all human in this economy of convenience. Thanks for sharing!
https://friendswithoutid.wordpress.com
Like you, I’ve had amazing Uber and Via drivers whose stories I’ve taken in.
Btw: It sounds like you pack just as heavy as I do!
I really appreciate your honesty in this post and how much you learned in such a short amount of time. I hope you'll keep putting yourself out there in new situations and really listening to the stories people share.
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