Lucky Cab Ride

In Thoughts January 9, 2016

I had a great conversation with my American Taxi driver on the way home with the kids. He is from Martinique and we talked about America vs other places. He had so many interesting observations about how we (Americans) work the fastest and hardest but get the least out of it like how we take no time to have lunch. He talked about how our food is so cheap and having just left RPM Steak, I said, “What?!”

He said we waste so much and we spend so much time doing what we think is faster but we suffer by not eating together and not enjoying the pleasure in cooking simple beans and rice or soups during the week while looking forward to a special Sunday evening dinner with a fish or meat with family. He said when we shop, we only buy the roundest, shiniest apples and the rest just rot because we try to live a life that is what the movies and ads think our life should be. (It’s over an hour ride home.)

I asked if he bought a Powerball ticket (annuity value of $1,586,400,000) and he said he forgot so I had him pull over at a gas station. I bought $10 and he bought $10.

Since he called me at dinner when he was waiting outside for us, I said, “We have each other’s phone numbers. Even if we take the payout, there’s plenty to keep, share and give away. Let’s double our chances and split it if we win. I know you’ll call me if you win and I think you can tell I’m pretty solid. Who wouldn’t love the story of a winner that called their cab driver or passenger from the night before simply to say that they have millions of dollars to share with them?”

We shook on it, got in the car and he said, “It would be nice if we won and I believe you would call me, but I think the winner is going to be a 90-year old lady from Florida.”

Last night, I met the smartest cab driver in the world.