Drive Time

Someone said I should write a book. I love when people tell me what I should do. This is a person that did not realize I was already writing the stories down even though I’d already told him at least a couple times. Apparently he’s not online nearly as often as he’d like me to think he is.

Maybe the part I needed to hear from him is that the stories might see a larger audience if they were collected.

While I constantly think of the couple hundred notes I have not transcribed from my recorder I now see that I have gotten 84+ stories onto the blog spaces; ShuttleBug and ShuttleDave. There might be some duplicates.

Where else is free time like this available? This is in between time. Maybe the hair salon. Possibly visiting with the bartender.

If you go see your therapist or doctor you have to make your decisions sound plausible or defensible. There’s this barrier.

While we can and do talk about most things in the shuttle we rarely talk about their car service. I tell folks that my approach to car service and knowledge about cars goes like this: when I have a problem I open the hood, say a little prayer and call someone who knows more that I do.

A few people - very few actually - have needed to vent but most realize that I cannot make the process faster or cheaper. I am not trying to sell anything. We relax.

It’s not that I intentionally want to distract them but I am interested in what they are interested in talking about. Mostly we talk about the job. Their job. Sometimes they ask me about mine.

What did I do before I retired? I love that one. I’m in a white shirt and tie, driving them to work in a company vehicle. What part of this looks retired to you? - is what I think. It’s amazing what we do to the definition of words - I might say.

I do ask about exciting or new projects. I am now wondering about other questions. Here are the 10-questions from James Lipton’s “Inside the Actors Studio” program.

1. What is your favorite word?

2. What is your least favorite word?

3. What turns you on?

4. What turns you off?

5. What sound do you love?

6. What sound do you hate?

7. What is your favorite curse word?

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

9. What profession would you not like to do?

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Looks like I’m cooking a book.