I just dropped off one of my passengers, while doing my thing with Uber. Jeanne is what I would call a regular... I've transported her multiple times over the past few months...
Jeanne shared with me a story that just broke my heart. Apparently, her daughter has been searching for an automobile. Well, she found one... so she thought... on Craig's List...
The "owner" of the auto lives in Missouri. Jeanne's daughter saw a photo of the car on the Website. The price was affordable... $2500.00.
The "owner" gave instructions to purchase five Amazon gift cards, $500 each card. Jeanne's daughter did this. She was then instructed to send $2500.00 in gift cards to the "owner", at a particular address. The auto was to arrive this morning...
The automobile has not arrived.
What did arrive was an email. The email, addressed to Jeanne's daughter, explained that the vehicle had now arrived at the state border. And, in order to transport it across the state line, a $1000 "border fee" was being imposed (the words "border fee" were actually in quotations... Jeanne showed me the email)...
The email stated that two additional gift cards ($500 each) should be purchased and forwarded to the appropriate address. Not to worry, however... the "fee" would be reimbursed with the auto's final delivery (shaking my head now)...
Fortunately, Jeanne's daughter did not forward the "border fee". She did, however, lose $2500.00 to this obvious scam...
I hated hearing this news from Jeanne!
Injustice angers me. Abuse and mistreatment sicken my heart. I hate dishonesty and deceit!
There is not necessarily a lesson in every experience. But, if I had to draw one here, it would be...
Whatever it is... Uber, Amway, a new automobile, whatever... investigate everything thoroughly, BEFORE getting involved. And... for me... I must be sure never to treat anyone this way.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Saturday, July 11, 2015
EIGHT-LEGGED LESSON...
I just got home from driving with Uber. It was a good night. Friday nights are usually pretty steady...
When I walked up to the back porch of my condo, I noticed two spiders and their webs. One spider had woven a very beautiful orb web... you know like the one in Charlotte's Web, or like Spider-Man spins to catch crooks, or maybe good guys when they're falling from the sky...
That web was very symmetrical, very pretty.
The other spider's web was not so beautiful. It was just a dense mass of webbing gathered together in one corner of the awning over our back porch...
It was not very impressive.
Well, I watched the two spiders for about thirty-five minutes, just to see if they'd catch any food...
The spider with the attractive orb web was zero for three with his attempts. Three times an insect flew into the web. But, each time, the insect was able to escape by flying through the gaps in the webbing... the holes in that spider's beautiful plan were just too big!
The other spider, with the unattractive web, caught two insects in thirty minutes! His webbing was so dense, there was no room for the insects to escape... that spider's plan was airtight!
There are a lot of attractive careers we can pursue... ones carrying status, prestige, and the promise of a great paycheck! But in today's economic reality, that plan may have a few holes. It may not quite be working out as promised...
There are other pursuits, however, that may not be so attractive... maybe Amway or Uber, for example. But the endeavor may be worthy. There may not be prestige or any real status to speak of... but, the plan may be pretty solid, or airtight...
There are no guarantees for anything that we do... that's called life. But we should never discount the real opportunity that may exist with some of the less attractive, less glamorous pursuits...
After all, when it comes down to it... it's not how attractive your web is... it's did you catch any food!
When I walked up to the back porch of my condo, I noticed two spiders and their webs. One spider had woven a very beautiful orb web... you know like the one in Charlotte's Web, or like Spider-Man spins to catch crooks, or maybe good guys when they're falling from the sky...
That web was very symmetrical, very pretty.
The other spider's web was not so beautiful. It was just a dense mass of webbing gathered together in one corner of the awning over our back porch...
It was not very impressive.
Well, I watched the two spiders for about thirty-five minutes, just to see if they'd catch any food...
The spider with the attractive orb web was zero for three with his attempts. Three times an insect flew into the web. But, each time, the insect was able to escape by flying through the gaps in the webbing... the holes in that spider's beautiful plan were just too big!
The other spider, with the unattractive web, caught two insects in thirty minutes! His webbing was so dense, there was no room for the insects to escape... that spider's plan was airtight!
There are a lot of attractive careers we can pursue... ones carrying status, prestige, and the promise of a great paycheck! But in today's economic reality, that plan may have a few holes. It may not quite be working out as promised...
There are other pursuits, however, that may not be so attractive... maybe Amway or Uber, for example. But the endeavor may be worthy. There may not be prestige or any real status to speak of... but, the plan may be pretty solid, or airtight...
There are no guarantees for anything that we do... that's called life. But we should never discount the real opportunity that may exist with some of the less attractive, less glamorous pursuits...
After all, when it comes down to it... it's not how attractive your web is... it's did you catch any food!
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Adelle...
Adelle requested an Uber at about three o'clock in the morning. She was on the other side of town; it took me about twenty minutes to get there. About five minutes into the drive to pick her up, Adelle texted me: "Hello Michael. Please make sure you text me when you get here." OK, sure; no problem...
When I arrived at the pick up location, I texted Adelle, informing her of my arrival. I waited in front of the building... it kinda looked like a library. A few minutes later, Adelle slowly opened the door, and exited the building. She closed the door, turned around, and extended out in front of her a walking stick. The stick was white, with a little red on the tip, at the bottom. She started to walk very slowly, tapping the stick against the ground as she walked...
Adelle was blind... I got out of the car, and asked if I could be if any assistance. She said yes. So, I trotted up to the top of the steps. I stood on the porch beside Adelle. And I led her down the steps, to the curb, and into the car.
The ride was smooth. It was about a twenty-five minute drive. We talked about a lot of different things (Valu-Mart grocery makes deliveries! I gotta keep that in mind!)...
On the ride, though, Adelle made a noteworthy comment. She said, for blind people, "Uber is not a luxury". For the blind, "Uber is a service that provides desperately sought after quality of life"...
A very intriguing statement! I asked Adelle what she meant by that. She explained: "until Uber came to town, we had no spontaneity in life. If we wanted to go to the grocery, or to the local McDonalds, or wherever... we had to plan it a day in advance. And we couldn't change our plans! Now, with Uber, if I get hungry, and want to go to Wendy's... twenty minutes later I can be on my way! You guys are a valuable service to the blind community!"
Wow! Really... Wow!
You know what? It's so easy to simply think, "I'm just an Uber driver." But that's not the reality of the situation. You never really have to be "just" anything. Because everything you do... whatever it is... can add value to someone's life.
I do a lot of things... I drive with Uber... I sell Amway products... I do Bible instruction courses... But I don't "just" do anything! In everything that I do, I try my utmost to add value to someone...
So, what do YOU do? And how do you do it?
I encourage you, don't "just" do it, but go ahead and really do it. Take pride in what you do. And do it in a way that shows that pride. Because, you never know... what you do may be a "valuable service" to someone. What you have to offer may just be "desperately sought after" by someone in your community.
When I arrived at the pick up location, I texted Adelle, informing her of my arrival. I waited in front of the building... it kinda looked like a library. A few minutes later, Adelle slowly opened the door, and exited the building. She closed the door, turned around, and extended out in front of her a walking stick. The stick was white, with a little red on the tip, at the bottom. She started to walk very slowly, tapping the stick against the ground as she walked...
Adelle was blind... I got out of the car, and asked if I could be if any assistance. She said yes. So, I trotted up to the top of the steps. I stood on the porch beside Adelle. And I led her down the steps, to the curb, and into the car.
The ride was smooth. It was about a twenty-five minute drive. We talked about a lot of different things (Valu-Mart grocery makes deliveries! I gotta keep that in mind!)...
On the ride, though, Adelle made a noteworthy comment. She said, for blind people, "Uber is not a luxury". For the blind, "Uber is a service that provides desperately sought after quality of life"...
A very intriguing statement! I asked Adelle what she meant by that. She explained: "until Uber came to town, we had no spontaneity in life. If we wanted to go to the grocery, or to the local McDonalds, or wherever... we had to plan it a day in advance. And we couldn't change our plans! Now, with Uber, if I get hungry, and want to go to Wendy's... twenty minutes later I can be on my way! You guys are a valuable service to the blind community!"
Wow! Really... Wow!
You know what? It's so easy to simply think, "I'm just an Uber driver." But that's not the reality of the situation. You never really have to be "just" anything. Because everything you do... whatever it is... can add value to someone's life.
I do a lot of things... I drive with Uber... I sell Amway products... I do Bible instruction courses... But I don't "just" do anything! In everything that I do, I try my utmost to add value to someone...
So, what do YOU do? And how do you do it?
I encourage you, don't "just" do it, but go ahead and really do it. Take pride in what you do. And do it in a way that shows that pride. Because, you never know... what you do may be a "valuable service" to someone. What you have to offer may just be "desperately sought after" by someone in your community.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
IN THE NEWS...
Check out this article from Forbes...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrycampbell/2015/03/24/just-how-far-is-your-uber-driver-willing-to-take-you/?utm_campaign=Forbes&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_channel=Technology&linkId=13095562
and this interesting look at Lyft...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrycampbell/2015/03/19/has-lyft-actually-overachieved-in-the-war-against-uber/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrycampbell/2015/03/24/just-how-far-is-your-uber-driver-willing-to-take-you/?utm_campaign=Forbes&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_channel=Technology&linkId=13095562
and this interesting look at Lyft...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrycampbell/2015/03/19/has-lyft-actually-overachieved-in-the-war-against-uber/
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
The Only Thing We Have To Fear...
CLIMACOPHOBIA: fear of climbing...
BATHMOPHOBIA: fear of stairs or slopes...
I don't know which one she had, but one of my passengers tonight suffered from one of these extreme fears! She is simply terrified of climbing stairs!
Her name is Cheryl... As I was driving with Uber tonight, I picked up Cheryl from Norton Audubon Hospital on Poplar Level Road. She seemed quite nervous, and she wished that she could have remained in the hospital for the night... but no luck with that.
On the ride home, Cheryl and I talked about many things. However, as we got closer to her son's home (she is living with him and his wife), all of her thoughts turned to those stairs...
Cheryl began to explain her extreme fear of climbing and descending stairs. And her son lived above a pawn shop...
The stairs were made of wood... though they were stable enough, the stairs had no backing; and you could see between each step exactly how high you were...
This was not going to be easy...
As we got closer to home, Cheryl got more and more nervous. Her nervousness became real anxiety. And when she saw those stairs, Cheryl was on the verge of a bonafide nervous breakdown!
I wanted to help her up the stairs; I offered to do so, and she gladly accepted my offer. But, then her son came down the stairs to help Cheryl. And I could clearly see one of her challenges...
Cheryl was getting no love from her kids on this matter with the stairs! Her son told her to calm down. He grabbed her by the hand. And he proceeded to basically drag her along up the stairs to the first landing...
By that time, the daughter-in-law was loudly repeating "you're doin' this to yourself!"... her son was threatening to just pick her up and carry her the rest of the way... and Cheryl was petrified!
To be fair, I can understand the frustration of the children... they have to deal with this unusual fear every single day. But right at this moment... when Cheryl is standing there, frozen on the landing and wailing with terror... right at this moment, Cheryl did not need frustration. What she needed is understanding.
I asked the son to let me help her the rest of the way...
I wrapped my right arm around Cheryl's waist. I took her left hand into mine. And, with her right hand, Cheryl held tightly to the banister. I spoke calmly, and I said, "OK Cheryl, you ready? ...then, here we go."
Slowly we climbed together... one step... two steps... three steps... and so on. Eventually, we made it to the top. It was kind of weird, but immediately, Cheryl's body completely relaxed!
I put my arm around her shoulder, and I said, "you did it!" She hugged me and said, "WE did it! Thank you so much!"
The son offered me a tip... this time I did not accept. I just said, "no worries sir... glad to help"...
Some people say that fear is an illusion. Cheryl's daughter would say, "we are doing it to ourselves"...
We may or may not be doing it to ourselves... but fear is no illusion... it is an absolutely real thing!
And, just as it was the case with poor Cheryl, what we may need to conquer the fear is NOT for someone to say, "it's all in your head"...
What we may need is a little understanding... a little patience and support from someone who cares.
BATHMOPHOBIA: fear of stairs or slopes...
I don't know which one she had, but one of my passengers tonight suffered from one of these extreme fears! She is simply terrified of climbing stairs!
Her name is Cheryl... As I was driving with Uber tonight, I picked up Cheryl from Norton Audubon Hospital on Poplar Level Road. She seemed quite nervous, and she wished that she could have remained in the hospital for the night... but no luck with that.
On the ride home, Cheryl and I talked about many things. However, as we got closer to her son's home (she is living with him and his wife), all of her thoughts turned to those stairs...
Cheryl began to explain her extreme fear of climbing and descending stairs. And her son lived above a pawn shop...
The stairs were made of wood... though they were stable enough, the stairs had no backing; and you could see between each step exactly how high you were...
This was not going to be easy...
As we got closer to home, Cheryl got more and more nervous. Her nervousness became real anxiety. And when she saw those stairs, Cheryl was on the verge of a bonafide nervous breakdown!
I wanted to help her up the stairs; I offered to do so, and she gladly accepted my offer. But, then her son came down the stairs to help Cheryl. And I could clearly see one of her challenges...
Cheryl was getting no love from her kids on this matter with the stairs! Her son told her to calm down. He grabbed her by the hand. And he proceeded to basically drag her along up the stairs to the first landing...
By that time, the daughter-in-law was loudly repeating "you're doin' this to yourself!"... her son was threatening to just pick her up and carry her the rest of the way... and Cheryl was petrified!
To be fair, I can understand the frustration of the children... they have to deal with this unusual fear every single day. But right at this moment... when Cheryl is standing there, frozen on the landing and wailing with terror... right at this moment, Cheryl did not need frustration. What she needed is understanding.
I asked the son to let me help her the rest of the way...
I wrapped my right arm around Cheryl's waist. I took her left hand into mine. And, with her right hand, Cheryl held tightly to the banister. I spoke calmly, and I said, "OK Cheryl, you ready? ...then, here we go."
Slowly we climbed together... one step... two steps... three steps... and so on. Eventually, we made it to the top. It was kind of weird, but immediately, Cheryl's body completely relaxed!
I put my arm around her shoulder, and I said, "you did it!" She hugged me and said, "WE did it! Thank you so much!"
The son offered me a tip... this time I did not accept. I just said, "no worries sir... glad to help"...
Some people say that fear is an illusion. Cheryl's daughter would say, "we are doing it to ourselves"...
We may or may not be doing it to ourselves... but fear is no illusion... it is an absolutely real thing!
And, just as it was the case with poor Cheryl, what we may need to conquer the fear is NOT for someone to say, "it's all in your head"...
What we may need is a little understanding... a little patience and support from someone who cares.
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
I just dropped off The Lion King!
My adventures continue with Uber...
I just picked up a passenger from a local hotel in Southern Indiana. He came out from the hotel with his girl in his arms... they looked very classy and pretty sharp.
Well, as we got on our way, the couple began to ask questions about Louisville KY. They also made some comparisons... of what they saw in Louisville, to other places they had visited.
I took the couple to a particular bar on Bardstown Road. The place had an interesting mix of people, but it's definitely one of the classier places on the strip.
Since this was the gentleman's first trip with Uber, I gave him the code for a free trip... they appreciated that. When they got out of the vehicle, the lady expressed appreciation for the good conversation and pleasant trip. Then, as the gentleman waited outside the vehicle, the lady leaned in and almost whispered to me, "you should go see The Lion King... he's playing Mufasa."
She thanked me again for the ride... and they were off to enjoy the rest of their evening.
Wow... I just gave an Uber ride to The Lion King!
I just picked up a passenger from a local hotel in Southern Indiana. He came out from the hotel with his girl in his arms... they looked very classy and pretty sharp.
Well, as we got on our way, the couple began to ask questions about Louisville KY. They also made some comparisons... of what they saw in Louisville, to other places they had visited.
I took the couple to a particular bar on Bardstown Road. The place had an interesting mix of people, but it's definitely one of the classier places on the strip.
Since this was the gentleman's first trip with Uber, I gave him the code for a free trip... they appreciated that. When they got out of the vehicle, the lady expressed appreciation for the good conversation and pleasant trip. Then, as the gentleman waited outside the vehicle, the lady leaned in and almost whispered to me, "you should go see The Lion King... he's playing Mufasa."
She thanked me again for the ride... and they were off to enjoy the rest of their evening.
Wow... I just gave an Uber ride to The Lion King!
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Life Happens... Are You Insured?
This is just a random plug for a colleague's new insurance service...
"Tony" Tytorrial Threets
Modern Woodmen of America
kznking98@yahoo.com
502-802-4646
Life, Health, & Disability Insurance,
and Retirement Planning
Listen, life happens! We want to be prepared financially. And we want to be covered outside of that...
Check him out!
"Tony" Tytorrial Threets
Modern Woodmen of America
kznking98@yahoo.com
502-802-4646
Life, Health, & Disability Insurance,
and Retirement Planning
Listen, life happens! We want to be prepared financially. And we want to be covered outside of that...
Check him out!
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