Saif. That’s his name. He got out of the car and greeted me with a warm smile and verve that brightened up Seattle’s cloudy and rainy day. “Hello Ramesh” he said as he put away my bags in the trunk of his Uber-mobile, a gleaming white and clean Toyota Camry. As we settled in the car, he asked “how is your stay in Seattle going?”. I said, “dry yesterday and wet today”, easing into a conversation that would keep the two of us entertained for the 30-minute ride to Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
I love my Uber rides for the interesting people and stories that I get to hear. They are great insights into our human nature and the similarities that we all share in our life journeys. “Destiny brought me to the USA”, said Saif. “I’m from Pakistan and never had any desire to come here. My son got a scholarship to study in the US and he came here. Upon graduation, he got a job with Intel in New York but was very homesick. He said he’ll come back to Pakistan to be with the family. But I said that his prospects will be very limited in Pakistan and that he should continue in the US. He asked me and my wife to live with him in the US. I was forced to do this for my son. At the age of 60, I came to the US”. Saif continued in impeccable British English, “It was tough to come to live in a foreign land at 60. Everything was new and different – driving, language, credit cards, computers…I struggled and even cried at night repenting my decision. As an escape, I bought an old car and drove around the US for the next six months, seeing new places and meeting people.”
“What did you do in Pakistan?”, I interjected. “I was a pilot for the Aga Khan Foundation. I flew planes and helicopters and even fixed them. I tried to continue working as a pilot here but I failed to qualify because of a heart condition. Then one day I decided to become a bus driver. I applied for a driver training course. They asked me to fill out an online form. When I got to the very end, I had to sign (e-sign) the form. I had no idea. I pulled out my pen and signed on the computer screen! I had to call my son for help and somehow I got the form in the very last minute! I went on to become a school bus driver and that’s what I have been doing for the 10 years that I have lived here. I drive Uber on the weekends and during school breaks. It’s fun just like driving planes, except that its on the ground!”
“Do you live by yourself? Do you have a wife?” I asked as the story got interesting and we were about half way to the airport. “I live by myself. It’s hard to live with your children. My son and I had a disagreement and I moved out. My wife, she’s in Pakistan with our daughter. They don’t like the US life style. But I stayed on. Over the past ten years, I have come to realize how great personal freedom and dignity are and I’m enjoying every bit of it. I have affordable housing, I make more money than I need, I meet wonderful people and I love driving.”
“Destiny brought me to my new life here. My flight instructor in Pakistan used to say that the winds don’t blow according to the pilot’s wish. That’s what I have learned in my 70 years of life. That life happens and we are moved along. Society’s “rules of thumb – if you do this, you will get that”, isn’t always true. I did not want to come to the US. But I was pushed to be here to discover a new life for myself at this age. I am happy and am living life to the fullest.”
The airport appeared in sight. We shook hands to continue our journeys, gliding with the winds of destiny.
My Journey Of Gratitude 