You Ought to Write a Book

I've had a number of folks suggest that while working in the Transit industry surely there will be all kinds of unique people and experiences. Nothing could be more true in the few weeks I've been driving. I could probably write a book just about the folks I work with and will include some of them from time to time but today's story comes from a rider.

Actually there were two today but I'll only share one and be assured "the names have been changed to protect the innocent, the strange, and the downright crazy!"

I was dispatched to pickup "K" which I assumed to be a male adult passenger. Upon arriving at the Drs office a mid twenties young lady met me in the parking lot carrying 15 month old "K." After loading both passengers on my vehicle and taking car of some paperwork we headed to their destination.

SOP for me is to be friendly and ask them a bit about themselves or in this case Mr. K. That's where her story got interesting. "I'm on the run from my husband and hiding out with a friend. Just 6 months ago I was happily married with a young baby boy, a good husband, with a very successful business, and living in a $500,000 home.

In a matter of weeks the business went under and the marriage went south fast. We moved to south Texas and almost overnight, my husband began drinking heavily and turned violent. When I called the police late one night, they advised me to load K up in the car and go to a shelter, so that's what I did. It was one of the scariest nights of my life. I stayed at that shelter only a little more than an hour.

I'm a college graduate that prior to Mr. Ks arrival had been working as a personal assistant to an NBA team owner. Life was perfect, now it's my worst nightmare. Not too many nights later and several different shelters, my husband found me at a convenience store and called the police to tell them I was suicidal and going to kill the baby. At least seven different police vehicles arrived to respond to the call. After much discussion they advised me to call a cab and go back to the shelter, which I did.

A little while later I called back to the convenience store to inquire about my BMW. They informed me that my husband had taken the car. At this point I'm homeless, carless, and pretty much hopeless. The last few weeks have found me going from shelter to shelter to try to keep my husband from finding baby K and taking him off to South Africa where his former wife and daughter are living.

Just a few days ago out of desperation I called an old friend from Waco about the possibility of staying with her, and here we are, now on medicaid, food stamps, living in hiding, and trying to figure out where we go from here."

About that time we arrived at her friends house where I let them off and carried Mr K into the house for her. He was a chunk, by the way. I told her I hoped the best for her and would pray for her safety. Talk about living in transit. None of really knows what each day holds and sometimes life takes weird, bizarre, difficult, and interesting twists and turns. And thought living in a 650 sq ft apartment without a yard for our dogs making 30% of my former salary was some sort of difficulty.....NOT! It's really all about perspective. Be grateful for a good life, a loving wife, 3&1/2 grandchildren, a comfortable albeit small apartment and every blessing the Lord provides, I know I'm more thankful than I was this morning.

That's today's story and if I'm lying, I'm dying.

See you down the road.....

De

In the Beginning

I had in mind to go back to the beginning of this whole living in transit idea and I will do that one of these days but not today. Thought with a few minutes this morning before my good friend Bill arrives to help me do some more moving, I'd blog about yesterday.

Yesterday started at a reasonable time as my current job goes. Many days start as early 4:45, sometimes earlier but early. Yesterday I got a bit of a break and started at 7. Checked out my ride, a specially designed Chevy van, that accommodates wheelchairs and headed out to Meridian, Tx. Picked up a young man and his mom to drive them to cleburne to the Dr.

All was pretty normal until the clouds began to build and darken. I checked the radar on my phone and knew it might get rough, and it did. After a couple hours of waiting I picked up my clients in a steady rain, amidst lots of lightning and thunder. A few minutes later after heading out they announced a tornado warning just up the road in Joshua, whew, missed that one. An hour later back in Meridian, the bottom fell out and the sky began falling, both rain and quarter sized hail. I pulled over as close to a building to try to somewhat shelter my van. After that blew over I headed back to Waco and arrived not long before the severe weather arrived there.

Then I got calls and txt messages from various family members as to my whereabouts and safety. Im not allowed to use my phone while driving and don't so given the chance I let everyone know I was fine and back in Waco. Our son and family narrowly missed a damaging tornado in Forney but they are fine. Others we know had cars that were seriously damaged but no one was injured, I know.

None of knows what will transpire as we go through this life. Some days are stormy some are sunshine. Yesterday, well the past 7 months have been kinda stormy, but the Lord continues to provide everything we need for life and godliness, and for that, we're thankful.