I just love moments that are cool, you know… the ones that
are supposed to happen to you all along. I call those defining moments… they
are the moments you will hang onto all your life, the moments that make a
difference because they influence behavior or emotion in you. After a 5-day
business trip to DC for Photoshop World, (AKA PSW), I am now sitting in a
restaurant at the Baltimore-Washington Airport waiting for dinner before my
flight and I had to type this blog post about my cab ride. Although my hope was
to fly straight into DC, the flights were ridiculously high even three weeks
out, so I found a better priced flight into Baltimore/Washington International
and booked it. I figured spending $170 round trip for the cab ride to and from
my hotel was still better than paying $450 more for a flight into D.C.
When I got in the cab today I began a conversation with the
driver trying to negotiate a deal for the ride to BWI; I figured it wouldn’t
hurt to try and being that I typically negotiate like a master, I thought it
may work. He was entertained to say the least at my attempt to finagle a
discount of at least $10 and it started up a conversation about what I did for
a living. He said I struck him as a great business woman. I told him that I did
makeup, hair and wardrobe for print, TV and special events and the conversation
continued from there. He found out where I was from, how many kids I had, that
I wrote a book, and a blog, that I am twice divorced and he even asked me which
husband I liked the most, which made me laugh. This brought on a more
compelling conversation, as I told him that both marriages had good things and
bad, but what I could say most definitively was that I learned more lessons
from the second one and had no regrets for either one, despite their negatives.
I found out he was from Ethiopia which brought on a very
interesting conversation, that he was 42, and had been in America for 10 years.
We talked the WHOLE way to the airport, not one silent moment; from laughing to
intense conversation about psychology, goals and racism in America. I gave him
a “pep talk” when I found out he went to school in his country to be a teacher.
This guy was smart… VERY smart and he drove a cab. Cool thing is he has DREAMS
of being a business owner, and I told him he could LIVE those dreams. I let him know that waking up every day he
could decide to be happy… to be happy that he could drive in order to support
his family, to be happy he woke up with food; being from Ethiopia he knew what
being without it was like. I told him to wake up every day and tell himself that
he was going to be a better driver today than he was yesterday…. and to never
take his mind off of his goals.
I told him that making the choice to be happy while keeping
your mind on your goals, and being thankful for where you are, even if it’s not
where you hope to be, will help you live out your dreams. He stopped me after I
said these things and said “Shelley, you are one amazing lady, you have totally
inspired me, you should be a speaker, you are SO good at this” To which I
smiled and said “Well, that is MY ultimate goal, so you saying that inspires me!”
As we pulled up to the terminal he asked me if I would send
him a book when it was out, and of course I said yes. He gave me his email
address and helped me with my bags. He probably would have given me that
discount… but I decided the ride was worth the $85 and I tipped him another $5.
The moral of this story?
Never underestimate anyone because you never know who will
inspire you; or who you may inspire… you simply never know who will make an
impact in your life. I encourage you to pay attention, talk to people… and
listen to what they have to say. I cannot wait to send him my book and I have
no doubt that he will become a business owner one day!
If you are reading this blog, Thanks Getiyek… that was a
compelling cab ride!
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