I’m Glad I Waited

During my time here in Chicago (which, by the way, feels like more like a week than 3 days....and that’s a good thing) I have been wanting to write about my Uber/Lyft drivers.  All four of them that I engaged in conversation were absolutely some of the most pleasant and genuine people I’ve talked to in a long time. But, maybe, just maybe people are just amazing if I’m actually looking for the good. 

Let me tell you about them:

Opening night it was Roberto picking me up from ORD.  Originally from Ecuador, this gentle man (yes, I separated them for a reason because he was very unique in my experience with his ability to speak in a calm, gentle manner about real things) explained his experience with learning to enjoy more time for himself.  I related a lot to him sharing about working all the time and missing out on things at home.  He also shared about his family back home and how it differs a lot from his wife’s side of the family.  She’s American and Roberto has a hard time understanding how little she sees her family. Back home for him, his family does everything together and many of them even live together.  I related a lot to that too.

This morning it was Nestor.  I didn’t catch where he was from but he was so excited to explain to me the different parts of Chicago and the things I needed to see.

This afternoon it was Alexander who is a born and bred Chicagoan.  What a great guy.  We shared travel stories and he told me about his neighborhood and the gentrification that was occurring.  Taxes in his area are now north of $10,000 per year.  Incredible.

And then, also this afternoon, was my ride with Aleksandra.  As I sit in O’Hare International Airport I’m in awe of the experiences I get to have.  For 50 minutes in the car with her I was transported to another world.  Aleksandra explained her journey from growing up in Serbia, to playing professional basketball, to coming to school in the states and then her work to become a citizen of the US.  She has been working on the process for a few years now.  It honestly sounds like a real headache and kudos to her for continuing the process and doing things the right way.  She explained that Chicago has a huge Serbian population so she has a home away from home.  We shared stories about European travel and the differences between the States and Europe.

I felt transported in that car because I felt like I was in Europe.  I absolutely had a blast talking with her about basketball and life in general.  It even turns out Tarence Kinsey plays for the team she used to play for (the women’s team of course) in Serbia.  What a small world.  But my point is, I could have ridden around Chicago with her for hours just talking.

I love talking.  Wait. I love conversations.  I’m learning that I like talking too. But I love interacting with people and listening to the things they share.  Listening to Aleksandra was such a pleasure for me.  I felt at ease.  I felt like I was having a conversation with a chill European.  And I was.

I told her at the end of the ride that I’m coming back to Chicago and I didn’t want to break any Uber rules, but I explained to her I’d love to hang out when I got back up here.  And, for those of you keeping score at home, no this is not a romantic type interest of hanging out.  This is pure and simple human connection at its finest.  That’s what I love.

And here’s the reality, I may never see Aleksandra again.  I hope I do.  But if I don’t, I can rest and be thankful that I met and interacted with another incredible human, one that is perfectly fine being herself and experiencing life.  That’s the lesson I’m taking from this ride:  I’m fine just the way I am. I don’t have to pretend to be anything.  I can sit in ORD, with my legs crossed, typing a blog post on my phone, and typing said blog post into an archaic website interface.....and that’s all just fine.

Chicago,

Thank you for an amazing three days.

Here’s to more today and in the future, both here and wherever I am.

Brian

(I would like to point out that I rarely take selfies.  This selfie signifies for me that I’m perfectly ok with me at the moment)