4 Types of Passengers
I am driver. I can drive around where no one says, “pull over”, so I can stop and continue driving whenever I want to, because the license I have, are the experiences that empowers me to continue my journey. The journey where I grow as I immerse myself meeting people that made who I am today. And, you know what?one of the most beautiful things about driving is that, I meet various passengers every single day. These passengers may appear smaller while I am staring at my rearview mirror ,but by looking closely they reflect a wider picture of who they are. Passengers who are carrying bags of overflowing and endless stories. These are stories of happiness and excitement that puts a smile on their faces whenever they reminisce each moment. On the contrary, there are also stories of their overwhelming sadness and struggles that haunts them every single day , yet they manage to get through it. And, when I say stories, sometimes this does not necessarily really mean it has to be told because sometimes stories can also be expressed through pure silence.
These are my passengers and their stories. By any chance,are you one of them?
Passenger #1: The Grumpy
They have this facial expressions that say it all. They look annoyed every single day whenever I pick them up. From the way they open and close my door as they enter inside. I would “stop, look, and listen” as they share a rant about how stressful they are, waking up in the morning with just three to four hours of sleep for a job they don’t even want, checking emails they haven’t replied yet, having just a cup of black coffee half-finished for breakfast, and checking long lists of bills they must pay. As I drop them off, they take a deep breath and walk away.
Passenger #2: The Silent
They have created this atmosphere of silence that encapsulates my ride as they get in with their earphones plugged into their ears throughout the time their looking outside the window. I would “stop, look, and listen” to the music escaping from the ones covering their ears that sounds like a song played in an one-hour loop.A song that fills up the void inside of them and to help them ease the feeling of sadness eating them away everyday.
Passenger #3 The Funny
They have this energy that radiates and breaks the ice as they come inside. They initiate the conversation asking me how’s my day going. They begin cracking a joke and telling me comic stories from an on trend sitcom. Then, I “stop,look, and listen”but all I can hear and see is the loud emptiness emanating from their eyes.
Passenger #4 The Courageous
The only passenger left inside the cab, the passenger who continues to drive continuously. And, I am that passenger, who appreciates the presence of the other passengers accompanying me along the way. I am the passenger who finds inspiration and motivation from people who get up in the morning no matter how exhausting life is, but still manage to open their eyes and move forward .I am the passenger who looks up to people who take a break from the loud and messy environment we are in, as personal space and peace is of their top priority.And,I am the passenger who admires people who paint smiles on other people’s faces knowing they’re struggling deep inside.I am glad to encounter this people.
Passengers come in, but they don’t stay with us along the way for too long because they have to stop and go somewhere. They only stay and they become part of our memories just like people we meet in our lives. We meet them for some reasons;however,there comes a point in time where they have to leave, and we have to let go.We close that door and chapter in our lives,but their stories and memories stay behind. At the end of the day, we will realize that we are the only person inside our own rides,and we have to continue our journey.
