wrote a blog about it - like to hear it, here it goes

So, as mentioned in a previous post (I am a writing FIEND lately), I got my hair cut yesterday. What I didn't talk about is how I got there. I usually take the metro to Andre Chreky, but when I got on the metro, every one was told to get off the train. Well, being a small-town girl at heart, and someone who gets kinda antsy about metro problems, I decided to cab to my appointment. I got up to Independence, and hailed a cab. I had to run across the street to get into one. He said, 'a girl in shape, that's nice.' Ha! If he only knew...

Anyway, he told me that he was about to call into a radio talk show when I got in the cab. He was RILED UP about someone who was saying that the draft should be re-instated. Whoever was on the radio said that since he pays taxes, then he should be protected from terrorists, no matter what. My cab driver said 'he needs to go over there, and not force ME to go.' He was MAD!

In the middle of this conversation, we were almost side-swiped by a van. He said, 'all I ask for is this lane, can I have this lane?' Too funny. He said he's Sir Lancelot who complains a lot, but that he was still my knight in shining armour, because he would get me to where I needed to go in time. He was really funny!

He got back to talking about war, and said that he was in Vietnam. That the first time he spoke with a Viet Cong, the guy told him that he was on whoever's side sold him the cheapest weapons, for him to defend himself. This guy didn't care about what type of government his country had. He just wanted to survive. The cab driver went on to say that the current war is a game, just like Vietnam was. How he lost his scholarship after coming back from Vietnam, and that no one cared. How the government didn't support returning soldiers, and how everyone 'spit' on them. That the only reason for war is greed. The.only.reason.

By then, we were next to my destination. He said 'thanks for listening to an old soldier, I'm sure you have better things to do.' I said, 'not really.' I got a God bless you, which is always nice, especially from a total stranger, and not expected (I should give more of those).

As I walked in to Andre Chreky (yes, the slightly over-priced, but worth it salon), I had a tug of regret in my heart. Can't really explain it, except that this man's point of view is something I rarely hear, much less think about. Very humbling experience. I love my DC cab-drivers! (well, most of them).

I walked the 2+ miles home. It's days like yesterday where I am grateful to be living in this great city. You just never know what's going to happen once you step outside your front door.