Do you ever experience a moment that feels like time is standing still? Well, that happened for me this weekend, and it was beautifully perfect.
I don’t have a car in Nashville, which has taken some getting used to. Growing up on a farm in South Dakota meant I had to drive if I wanted to get anywhere that required traveling any distance at all. One of my biggest hurdles, since moving, was figuring out how I would get groceries. Thank goodness for . . . UBER. On Sunday I decided it was time to get some groceries. Mostly because I was out of coffee creamer, and, anybody that knows me, knows I take my creamer with a side of coffee. Not to mention, this blog IS called “Coffee with Carrie.” How on earth am I supposed to write you all if I have no coffee creamer? The horror - I know.
Once I checked out from the store, I called an Uber driver to pick me and my groceries up. About 5 minutes later, a black minivan pulls up directly in front of the grocery store – blocking all passing traffic. I quickly hopped into the car, so the driver could move out of the way. As I buckled my seat belt, James the Uber Driver, continued to sit in the middle of the parking lot. He was an overall-wearing elderly man with his seat leaned back. James pulls out his iPad and beams, “Alright, whhheeerrreee aarrreee weeee goooooing?” Everything James said was in slow motion (hence the drawn-out words). Once he got the directions pulled up there was an impatient Range Rover sitting directly in front of us. James slowly (caterpillar slow) started backing out of the way. The Range Rover creeped closer and closer, as if crowding James the Uber Driver would really accomplish anything. James interjects, “People are always in such a hurry. See this Range Rover in such a hurry to get out of here. He probably is annoyed with me. But you know what, I don’t care. He will either get over it, or he won’t.” To which I replied, “James, I like the way you think.”
We eventually pull out of the parking lot and were en route to my apartment. I continued chatting with James and told him I was raised on a farm in South Dakota. With a warmth in his voice he said, “I knew you were a farm girl.” I replied, “How did you know that?” He said, “You just have that sparkle.”
Thank you, James, for reminding me that life is precious, people are inherently kind, and sometimes time moves too fast. Time stood still with James the Uber Driver.