“I drove the ambulance”

Beirut, Libanon.

So I received an invitation to go snowboarding just after finishing the previous post (in which I mentioned my wish to go snowboarding and my embarrassment to go alone). I am meeting people who tell me about their strong connection to the Divine and how they feel guided and carried. I feel envy when I hear that because although I feel that I listen to my heart carefully the obeying doesn’t go without a struggle with fear. But lately I am having more and more of these ‘coincidences’ and I wonder if God finally decided to make my life easier.

Anyway.

I pack my bag, run to the ATM bravely shouting “give me all the money that’s in there” (I get carried away sometimes) and jump in a cab. I had to show the cab driver the address from the text message I had received. This is always a good sign of being an ignorant tourist, the favorite dish of taxi drivers.

Since it was Sunday the traffic wasn’t completely clogged, thank God. My taxi was driving unexpectedly fast, swerving fluidly from lane to lane, passing cars on the left and on the right. I am enjoying and appreciating the fact that this man will help me get into the snow faster than I had hoped. His English was not so good. I pat him on the shoulder and say: “you drive very good”. Then he said: “In 1988 we had war. I drove the ambulance”.

I had to pay way too much but I didn’t care. I realized that this man saved many lives in 1988 and today he is poor. His name is Roger Soder and his mobile number is +961 71803696. Call him when you need a taxi in Beirut.