ife always teaches you all kinds of things, every day, all day.
It`s just that we forget very fast, take everything for granted and don`t think how blessed we are, indeed.
Like me.
I`ve seen a million horrible things in my life, and yet I forget about them often.
Maybe that is a good thing, but sometimes life reminds me in a hard way that I should never forget how blessed I am to be alive in the first place.
And whole.

On Friday night I ran over a kitten. I`ve seen her to late, she kind off just jumped in front of my cab, there was a lot of ice on the street and I just couldn`t hit the brakes on time.
I watched it dying in the rearview mirror and my heart shattered. Started crying right then, even though I had a customer with me.
She looked at me and asked what happened, why am I crying all of the sudden...so I told her, she did not see what had happened.
To my surprise and anger, she laughed. Said „ ah, come on man, it`s only a kitten, sh*itt happens.”
I know it does, I just wish it doesn`t happen to me. But, it does, no escape there.
I dropped her off, booked in with the dispatch and waited for the next fare for about 20 minutes. During that time, I was listening to the dispatch sending cabbies to various addresses but one call every single cabbie refused - to take a large dog into the cab.
When she finally called me, I said „yes” without hesitation. So, I went to the address, picked up a women, her kid and an enormous, beautiful German Sheppard. He stank, since he was all wet from the snow, he made my car all dirty, he barked during the whole ride...but I started to feel a bit better.
I would not take money for the fare. The women was surprised, asked why, I just said „ Enjoy the holidays, miss, have a Merry Christmas ” and drove off.
Maybe I balanced out my debt to the dead kitten. Or so I hope.

On Saturday I was sent to a new area in the city, was barely able to find the house, since it`s not even on the GPS yet ( Tess calls hers Tom, I call mine De Niro...as in „ You talkin` to me ? ” De Niro ).
The door opened and a man was carrying a girl in his arms.
Great, I thought, she is so drunk that she can`t even walk, this will be a fun ride.
What came next hit me like a sledge hammer...her girlfriend was pushing her wheelchair after them. The guy out her in the fornt seat, told me to take care of her and went back to the house.
I expected them then to say to drive them home, but I was wrong againg. They said they are going to the bar. They asked me if they could smoke in the car, and even though that is forbidden by law, I said yes instantly. That paralyzed girl is maybe only 22 years old, and so beautiful like Da Vinchi had painted her.
She was talking about how she would get hit on by every single gut in the bar, that she would dance, that she would be happy, and her girlfriend kept noddin at that story...
When we got there, I carried her out while her GF was putting the wheelchair together...and once again I couldn`t charge for the fare...said the same thing like I`ve said to the women the day before and drove off.
But this time I couldn`t book in right away, i parked in some deserted parking lot and cried for a very long time...

Count your blessings, my friends, we don`t even know how lucky we are...
Don`t wait for a tragedy to remind you, but live every day like it`s your last one.
Keep smiling and keep loving, all the time.
For we are blessed indeed.