Faith

     Last week I talked to our shuttle driver, who was very proud of his wife, and rightfully so. He had a right to be proud of himself, too. The shuttle driver possessed a lot of wisdom which he was generous enough to share with the passengers on board. We wanted to know what he had to say about many subjects. 

    What we learned was how he met his wife. The driver told us about his previous relationships and what he did to meet a woman fitting the characteristics he wanted. On a dating app, her picture was the first to appear. He liked her picture but wanted to check the other ones. At the end, he came back to the initial picture and profile of the woman who would become his wife.

   He then sent her something he called, a “flirt.’ I’m not sure if the message sending system was actually calling his action a flirt or if he was sending a message which was flirtatious. I think the message sending system to use to get the desired person’s attention had titled this move as a, “flirt.” In any case, he waited hopefully for a note from her to appear in response to his, “flirt.”

    Well, guess what? Our driver got a note from her. In order to read the note, he had to buy a subscription to the dating app, which he did. I’m sure if asked, he would say, “It was well worth it.” The question wasn’t going to be asked by me because of the way he spoke about his wife, which I would describe as, “in glowing terms.”

    The note and communication to follow led to him getting her phone number. Yes, a phone number. He is in his late ‘50’s and like some in his generation, good at talking on the phone. A fellow passenger said she had seen his wife’s picture and thought she was pretty. He actually hadn’t been talking about his wife’s looks as he drove. The conversation about his wife centered around what I’d say were in essence, cool things she was doing, and her great accomplishments. In addition, they felt good about their marriage as well as secure about it because they recognized that each of their strengths cancelled out their weaknesses. He also had faith on his side. You can take my mention of faith to interpret your own way.

    What I have written isn’t verbatim, but the best way I know how to describe it. 

    The person who asked the question whose answer I’ve been blogging about is me. 

    The question wasn’t small talk; my query was out of genuine curiosity. I have a friend, whose name isn’t going to be mentioned, who is in his 50’s and has complained on social media about not having a girlfriend. When I direct messaged a mutual friend, she said he was a bit particular. The good old, yellow, laughing-crying emoji ended her message. When I told our driver about this and our friend’s inability to find a girlfriend, he said, “It’s because he’s looking for someone who doesn’t exist.” Do you think that’s good food for thought? I believe it to be.

    Our driver didn’t think it was impossible for him to be in a relationship. He thought there might be apps which could work for him. Apps targeted towards specific groups or interests could show him someone who interests him. And there he has found a woman who exists, hopefully.**

* I didn’t mention the name of the driver because I’m not sure if he wanted to be name-dropped. If I had been able to ask for permission, his name might have been included. There’s a new shuttle driver now and she doesn’t know his name. She has a great perspective on life and has shared intriguing opinions. I’m thankful for their words of wisdom.

** I’m crossing my fingers that our friend doesn’t get catfished or experience some other misfortune. There might be, but I prefer to think he’s going to find a genuine person.