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.”