Every season provides Lyft driving with predictable experiences. A couple of Fridays ago I had a few hours to go Lyfting in the early evening. From my new point of reference in NW Arvada, it almost always means a trip or two to the finest outdoor concert venue in the world— move over Hollywood Bowl— Red Rocks Amphitheater. I had flown back the night before, from Belgium, through Atlanta. On the Atlanta leg I was sitting by five 20-somethings who were headed to Denver to go to a Red Rocks Concert. Now, I am definitely going to expose my 69-year-old “Sometimes I am from a different planet” life, as I have NO idea who they were going to see. My last concert at Red Rocks was three years ago with ‘Crosby, Stills, and Nash’. They all had to sit on stools and it took them about five songs to get rolling. They did rock “Teach The Children”. The Atlanta bunch have been coming every year to a Red Rocks concert for the last decade. When I told them my sister Rita Jo heard Jimmy Hendrix there in 1969, I reached a vicarious celebrity status.
My ride this night was to that concert— I can’t name— these two kids explained to me who they were going to see. “A sort of 2018 version of Pink Floyd”. They had come to Denver from Massachusetts and the young woman had never been to Colorado. It was a picture perfect summer evening. “You are in for the treat of a concert lifetime”. I dropped them off and as I headed down the mountain I got a ping. It was odd, as I wondered who would be leaving at 6pm. I picked her up at the visitor’s center at the park. “I left our tickets back in Denver, can you take me to High Street and back”? “Sure, it’s your ride. Let’s go”. She was a delight. The hour round trip flew by. She is a social worker who works with a huge software company that helps various sub groups learn to actually communicate with each other. I loved it.
When we were dropping her back off she handed me a rock she had picked up. “This is for you… I am not sure why I am giving this to you except that you make life fun”. The rock is in my cup holder… sometimes forgetting things actually helps us to remember what is important. It is a ‘red rock’. 😜
Onward and Upward,
Mark
Lyfting Me Up 