Bartenders of the Millenium
Catherine flew in from Las Vegas that morning for an appointment at Mayo Clinic. Earlier in the month, she had a 4"x6" mass removed, as a follow up to a double mastectomy in January. She told me "attitude is everything."
You've got that right. The stories one hears as an Uber driver displays a quilt of all of America. Frustration, joy, sadness, resignation, acceptance, denial. There are many more subsets to describe who gets in your car.
Uber Drivers have become the bartenders and hair stylists of the new century. Venting or revealing to strangers provides a 'safe zone,' There is no judgement, at least on my part, and none coming from the back seat as I share my trials and tribulations.
Chad called for a lift from Souther Scottsdale (or SoSco, as we call it) up to a job in NoSco. I had CNN on and offered to change it to music. He asked me to keep it on and I innocently said to this 28-something, "well, this will be your generation's Bay of Pigs." I was wrong. This baby-faced 'kid,' had served six years in the Marine Corps and was as alarmed and fearful as I was. He told me he had a two-year window to be recalled in the case of a massive military action and said fighting religious zealots was half as scary as dealing with a 'mad man,' as he put it, who cannot be figured out. There was no calculation as to what might happen. As he shared his past-and pondered his future as an IT guy, I apologized for being trite when I said, as he departed: 'Thank You for your service." We hear that so many times and this country didn't say it upon the return from soldiers in Vietnam but I think we learned over the decades, that dedication and beliefs these young American feel today is something to be welcomed and respected.
As he exited, I accepted a call from Troon Golf Club. I knew this trip would be of a different nature and a different conversation. I was right.
You've got that right. The stories one hears as an Uber driver displays a quilt of all of America. Frustration, joy, sadness, resignation, acceptance, denial. There are many more subsets to describe who gets in your car.
Uber Drivers have become the bartenders and hair stylists of the new century. Venting or revealing to strangers provides a 'safe zone,' There is no judgement, at least on my part, and none coming from the back seat as I share my trials and tribulations.
Chad called for a lift from Souther Scottsdale (or SoSco, as we call it) up to a job in NoSco. I had CNN on and offered to change it to music. He asked me to keep it on and I innocently said to this 28-something, "well, this will be your generation's Bay of Pigs." I was wrong. This baby-faced 'kid,' had served six years in the Marine Corps and was as alarmed and fearful as I was. He told me he had a two-year window to be recalled in the case of a massive military action and said fighting religious zealots was half as scary as dealing with a 'mad man,' as he put it, who cannot be figured out. There was no calculation as to what might happen. As he shared his past-and pondered his future as an IT guy, I apologized for being trite when I said, as he departed: 'Thank You for your service." We hear that so many times and this country didn't say it upon the return from soldiers in Vietnam but I think we learned over the decades, that dedication and beliefs these young American feel today is something to be welcomed and respected.
As he exited, I accepted a call from Troon Golf Club. I knew this trip would be of a different nature and a different conversation. I was right.
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