The kindness of a stranger

     Recently I used Lyft to get a ride to the dealership to pick up Subie. Normally, the driver isn't talkative, but Kitty in the maroon Accord was very different.  She greeted me like I was someone she knew, smiling and saying "hello!".  She asked about my day and I told her I was picking up my car from repairs.  She told me that her father was a mechanic and although they did not live close, she always got his opinion on car repairs. She said "yeah, its always something with a car.  One minute its are running fine, then next its a $1300 repair".  "That's funny, I said, that's exactly how much my repair is!"  She was so confident and out-going, and talky.  She said, "so I always ask people I meet: one, what do you do for a living, and two, what brings you joy?"  I told her that what I did for a living and that it did not always bring me joy....and I was still trying to decide for myself how to find joy after two years of widowhood.  I asked her questions about Honda vs. Subaru and why she loved "Garnet" as she lovingly patted the dashboard. (which is something I always do with Subie)  In the blink of an eye, she was dropping me off at the dealership.  I tipped her a couple of bucks and told her I was sorry that it wasn't much.  She seemed genuinely surprised and delighted and wished me a happy day.

     I know it sounds strange, but I felt like I was supposed to meet her that day.  She got my morning off on the right foot and the rest of the day went smoothly.  I had two very delish breakfast tacos, got a bunch of stuff done around the house, had a great lunch at home, did a bit of shopping and cleaned out my car, went on a walk, made a good dinner, cleaned the kitchen, got ready for work the next day, and slept well.  It was a good day.

car repairs should always be followed by tacos

     I've had that feeling before in brief encounters with people and been in awe of the bigger force in play.  Kitty was like a breath of fresh air on a cold and overcast day when I was dropping big bucks on my 8 year old car during a hugely expensive month. Her kindness and genuine interest in other people gave me perspective and a calm outlook that lasted the rest of the day.