Driver: “Grace?”
Me: “Yes that’s me!”
Driver: “Hows your night going?”
Me: “Great, just got out of a dance class. $15 dollars for three hours! So cool. So what do you do with life when you aren’t ubering?”
Driver: “Oh, I got my master’s degree recently. I do some real estate. I want to improve myself to be what companies look for. I’m thinking to move back to my home country.”
Me: “Where is home?”
Driver: “Taiwan.”
Me: “Wow, your family is there?”
Driver: “Yes my mom.”
A silence comes as we hit the highway. I look out to the mountains filled with a sense of joy.
Me: “Yeah I am thinking to move out here for a little bit. Why do you want to leave?”
Driver: “I went through a bad break-up with my boyfriend a few years ago.”
Me: “I am reading this book on divorce because I got divorced. It talks about how to complete the grieving process. If I only think about the good times I am not being honest with myself. If I only think about the bad things it’s the same problem. If I won’t think about it at all, it also doesn’t work. I have to let myself see it all especially all of the conversations stuck in my soul that we will never have. I don’t know if that makes sense.
Driver: “Actually he was my husband.”
Me: “I am so sorry. That is so painful.”
Driver: “Yes and we were supposed to get a divorce but then he passed away. Now it is the only thing I think about.”
Me: “He died. I am so sorry for your loss. You were going to get a divorce then.”
Driver: “Yes but then he died. I don’t know if I can stay here. These highways. Everything reminds me of him. “
Me: “Yeah, I knew a girl once who dated a guy, broke up with him, and then he committed suicide. I think she did drugs for a while. She was pretty broken.”
Driver: “Really? That is how my husband died. He killed himself.”
Me: “Seriously!!! But that isn’t your fault. You were going to get a divorce. I understand the sadness but I hope you will find a way to not let this take over your life.
(A girl gets into the car. Uber POOL!!!)
Me: “Divorce is terrible.”
Girl: “Has everyone in this car gotten a divorce?”
Me: “You’re divorced? What the hell?”
Girl: “Yeah me and my girlfriend were together four years, got married, then she said she wanted her freedom back.”
Me: “Should we all go out for a drink this is crazy.”