pour a beer and put up your feet - it's story time.
i have a mantra. i tell it to myself everyday before i get in my car. i got it from a lyric in a song written by... yes, you guessed it: sturgill simpson. it's from a song entitled, "living the dream" and it goes like this:
"...i don't have to do a goddamn thing but sit around and wait to die."
i know. it's off-putting at first, isn't it? it certainly was for me. i puzzled over that line for a long time, trying to figure out what he meant, and i finally realized that what i believe he's saying is that EVERYTHING we do is a choice. read it this way: i don't HAVE to do a goddamn thing but sit around and wait to die (emphasis mine). that helps, right?
for those of you new to my story, i am a rideshare driver in austin, texas. i meet fascinating people from all over the world, all day, every day, and i have some of the most interesting conversations about any topic you can imagine. i also find myself in interesting situations, and through experience, i've found it's best to be prepared for them prior to encountering them. a girl's gotta have a plan when interacting with random people all day, every day. i had an interesting situation present itself today, and my response to it was true to my mantra:
*you have a choice. you don't have to do anything you don't want to do.*
pretty powerful stuff, that.
i was at the airport today, and i got a request from the terminal. the pick up location was at pillar C. well, i cannot physically get to pillar C. it's blocked by construction cones, security vehicles, and the occasional police car. every time that i get a call to that location, i immediately call my rider, let them know the problem, and we arrange another pick up spot, for which they are extremely grateful. until today. it went like this:
me: hi! this is your driver. we are supposed to meet at pillar C. i cannot physically get to pillar C because it's blocked. where is a good spot for me to meet you?
rider: well, i don't know what your problem is, but i'm standing at column C and there are cars everywhere.
me: hold up. i'm trying to help you by letting you know that i cannot pick you up at the designated location. i am trying to arrange to meet you at another location so that i can pick you up expeditiously and we can be on our way... and by the way, i don't have a problem; i'm trying to help solve yours.
rider: well. where are you? because i'm at pillar C and there are cars all over the place.
me: i'm 5 cars from you at pillar A, currently.
rider: where are you? i can't see you.
me: i'm looking right at you, and i no longer have a problem.
me: disconnects call and cancels the ride as i drive past her on my way to pillar J, where my next rider is waiting.
i thoroughly enjoyed the look of shock on her face as she looked at my license plate and then saw the request cancelled. petty? maybe... but my bullshit meter is full and i make no apologies.
whether you agree with how i handled the situation is not the point. the point is, after 16 months of repeating this mantra to myself every day when i get in my car, it was the first thing that popped in my head and is what allowed me to enforce my personal boundaries without hesitation. NO ONE in my life is allowed to speak to me in that manner. not friends, not family, not colleagues, no one... and CERTAINLY not someone whom i've invited into my personal space. i've made a choice not to allow that level of disrespect in my life, and when i needed to toe the line, i did... because i don't HAVE to do a goddamn thing but sit around and wait to die.
cheers, sturgill. thanks for keeping me sane in austin traffic, and thanks for helping me be ready to stay true to who i want to be.
