How many times do we jump in a taxi or an Uber and give no thought to the driver?
This woman took a different route and shares the beautiful journey that ensued.
A Trip to the Airport
On November 9, 2019, Erin Barsness of Wisconsin was heading back home from Palm Springs, California. To get there, she requested an Uber to take her to the airport.
When her ride arrived, she asked the driver if she could sit in the front with him. We don’t know if this was a spontaneous request or if she had a reason for it. She doesn’t say. She does say that he reminded her of her grandfather, so maybe that was the reason. Regardless, while the driver was a bit startled by the request, he responded with, “Of course.”
A Conversation Starts
The driver—John—asks Erin why she’s travelling and she explains she’s been in California for work but is heading back home. He then asks her age, wondering if she is about 28, and she tells him that she’s 27.
This is where things get emotional. John explains that she reminds him of his daughter, who he lost when she was 29. She had a kind heart, and Erin reminds him of her.
John’s daughter passed unexpectedly, and though he tried to resuscitate her, he wasn’t able to. He’d found her too late. His heartbroken words to Erin were,
“I wish I could’ve done more. Why couldn’t I bring her back?”
He also shared that his daughter’s husband died shortly after, leaving behind a 4-year-old son. At this point, Erin says,
“My heart dropped to my stomach.”
For the rest of the ride to the airport they talked as if they had know each other their whole lives.
Erin Arrives at the Airport
In a 25 minute ride, these two had built an incredible bond, but now it was time to part.
Now at the airport, they hugged and prepared to part. John squeezes her shoulder and says,
“Take care of yourself Erin. You never know what hardships people have endured, especially behind a smiling face like I’ve masked myself behind for so long. Thank you, sweet girl.”
But Erin has a request. As he gets back in his car, she calls out to him.
“John! Can I take a picture with you? I want to show my family, my husband, the world, the kind human I met in you today.”
Erin’s Request
This encounter had a powerful impact on Erin and she had a request of her Facebook and Instagram followers.
If all of us could do that, even once a day, think of the lives we could enrich. Think of what it might teach us as human beings.
Did it All End There?
Erin boarded her plane and flew home, but thoughts of John were strong.
Could she have done more? How could she get in touch with him again? She tried to find a way to connect with him via Uber, but understandably, for privacy reasons, Uber wouldn’t give out that kind of information.
Did Erin give up? No. Eventually she aired a segment on her local news station asking people to get the word out that she was trying to find John and reconnect. To let him know if he wanted to be part of a family again, he could be part of hers.
You will be pleased to know that this worked, and John and Erin have been able to reconnect.
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