After noticing little things, we can learn to see what truly matters.
The life of a taxi driver in such an enormous city as New York is filled with adventure. The metropolis that never sleeps is full of human stories and dramas that the driver frequently has to watch. This story was told by one of the taxi drivers. He did not have the desire to reveal his name but he could not help but tell about this occurrence which literally turned his life upside down.
“I called the given address. I honked, as usual but no one came out of the house. I signaled again. None. I started to get anxious. It was the ultimate call that day, and I was about to leave. But I stayed. I rang the doorbell and heard the faint voice of aged woman. “One second please.”
After a couple of minutes, the door opened and I saw a little aged woman. She was at least 90 and was carrying a tiny suitcase. I was able to look inside the house and was quite astonished to see that all things were covered with sheets and the walls were bare. It seemed that no one had lived there for a long time. In the angle next to the door was a box of old shots.
“Young man, could you take the suitcase to the car, please?” asked the woman.
I took the suitcase and carried it to the car. Then I came back to assist the old lady get to the car. She expressed her gratitude to me for my assistance.
“Please,” I said, “I try to treat my clients the same way I would treat my mother.”
“That’s wonderful,” she said.
The woman got into the car and gave me the address and then asked me to take her to the city center.
“It’s not the shortest path. We’ll have to take a long journey,” I warned her.
“That’s great,” she said. – I’m going to the hospice.
This made me feel a little uncomfortable.
“Hospice. – I thought. – This is where people come to die.
“I don’t have anyone,” the woman said calmly. And the doctor says I don’t have much time left.
Then I turned off the meter and asked, “Where do you want to go?”
For the following two hours, I drove her around the city, and she showed me the hotel where she worked. We have visited many locations. She showed me the house she and her spouse lived in after they got married and the dance studio she attended as a kid.
From time to time, she asked me to drive very slowly and silently look out the window like a curious child. We walked around the night city until the woman said.
“I’m exhausted. We can go to our destination.”
We were both quiet as I drove to the mentioned address. The hospice turned out to be smaller than I imagined. When I arrived, the nurses came out to meet us. The woman was put in a wheelchair and the suitcase was taken away.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked, opening her wallet.
“Not at all,” I responded.
“But you have to earn some money,” she thought.
“It’s all right, there are other passengers,” I responded with a smile.
Without giving myself time to change my mind, I hugged her tightly and felt her hug me back.
“You made the aged lady very joyful on her ultimate journey,” she said with tears in her eyes.
I shook her hand, farewell and left. My new shift had already begun, but I carried on wandering aimlessly around the city. I didn’t have the desire to talk. What if someone else called? What if I just go without waiting?
When I look back on that night, I think it was one of the crucial lessons of my life. In our crazy bustle, we notice only the best moments. We always want more, quicker, further. But I think the moments of silence, the little things, are a very significant part of life. We must learn to enjoy them. We must learn to be patient and wait before making a stir. Possibly, after that we can learn to see what truly matters.
