I am writing this from a McDonalds located about 20 miles north of Denver. It is 8:52 am. and I have been driving for a bit over 2 hours. I have logged about 20 rides in the last week and I have at least five good stories. I headed out in the dark and spent the first 20 minutes listening to the radio. My ‘ping’ woke me up. Which brings me to ride #:
- I picked him up at the McDonalds at Alameda. He hopped in the front and said “I just pulled a graveyard, I am ready for bed”. We engaged in the usual sharing of information. He was born in the US but grew up south of Mexico City. He has been back here 4 years. I shared a couple of stories about the winter of 69-70 and the two months I spent traveling all over Mexico. I made my usual misplaced assumptions about a kid who works nights at McD’s. What I found out is that he is in his 3rd year at Regis University where he is preparing to become a kindergarten teacher in a bi-lingual school. He was a remarkably engaging young man with a contagious laugh. As he got out of the car he said “I have to go crash for a few hours and then study, I have mid-terms this week. No more work until next weekend. I told his boss school comes first”!
- I then picked her up at an apartment complex in West Washington Park. She came down the stars with her suitcase. I laughed as she got in the car. I told her “I just said out loud in my car ‘I would really like an airport ride’”. She said, “Well I am glad I could help because I really need a ride to the airport”. She was headed to Baltimore to a conference. Somewhere early in the conversation she asked me what I do besides Lyft. She got to hear the “I was the pastor of the church a few blocks from your home and now I am at First Christian Church in Greeley” speech. A few moments later I asked her what she does. She told me that she is essentially a youth minister…at a synagogue. The next 25 minutes the car was filled a beautiful conversation and God smiled. She grew up Jewish in West Virginia which is not the center of Hebrew culture. We talked about Israel and how special it is. I will sum up this time with her by saying that the synagogue where she serves is beyond blessed to have her. As she walked toward the terminal my heart ❤️ was filled with a deep sense of Shalom.
- I had not even pulled away from the terminal curb when I got a Lyft drivers dream round trip. He was a young man who was headed home to his family in Fredrick. For you non Coloradoans Fredrick is a bedroom community 20 miles north of Denver. I soon found out that he is a pilot who flies private jets all over the country. He too made me feel hopeful for our future. He talked about his family in a manner that made we want to be a kid in his home. We took the 30 mile trip north to his home. I learned a lot about what it is like to fly the super wealthy around to their homes, yachts, and parties. I dropped him off and saw the kids’ bikes in the garage. I remembered how great it was when I saw the 1953 white Chevy pickup (with port windows ) coming down the street…Dad was home
Three rides… three great people… and I get paid, I still love this country.
Onward and Upward,
Mark
Lyfting Me Up 