There is an often told story about a woman’s unconventional cab ride that carries a message for everyone.
The driver arrived at an address and honked his horn. After a few minutes he went to the door. A frail woman in her 90’s opened it and he helped her to the car. She kept thanking him profusely. He said it was nothing. He was treating her as he would want his mother treated.
She gave him the address and then she asked him if he would mind driving her through downtown. “It’s not the shortest way”, he said. She replied that she did not mind. “I’m in no hurry; I’m on my way to a hospice.” “I don’t have any family left and the doctor said that I don’t have much time.”
The driver reached over and shut off the meter and for the next two hours he drove her through the city. They went to the building where she once worked and the neighborhood where she lived with her husband. They went by a warehouse that was once a ballroom where she danced as a girl. Sometimes, she asked the driver to slow down or stop and she would sit quietly.
As the sun began to set she said, “I’m tired, we can go now.” When he dropped her off he refused any payment and gave her a hug. He was deeply touched and did not take any more passengers for the rest of the day. He kept driving around, thinking how different it would have been if she had gotten a rude, angry, impatient driver or one that might have refused to drive her around. What if he had honked once and then driven away?
You are a cab driver no matter who you are or what you do. You have many choices and opportunities every day to open your heart and be kind and caring to everyone you meet.
Patricia Frank is a Licensed Psychotherapist. She can be reached at 305-788-4864, 212-308-0309.
