2:29 pm

Tuesday

Van #1470 vehicle pre-trip check complete.

A moment of calm.

I think of my sweetheart in her yoga class taking care to nurture her bum knee. Breathe baby breathe.

Tablet booted, I log onto DriverMate and check my manifest. A “normal” day ahead. On paper anyway.

Time to check in with dispatch.

“Good afternoon, two five six checking in van fourteen seventy.”

“Good afternoon Brian, I show the 14:43 at Abilities Unlimited followed by the three forty five, the four and four fifteen.”

“I show the same, have a good day Sal.”

“You too.”

3:15 pm

I pull into the 7-11 parking lot on Piikoi and King St. Not normal at all at this point in my shift.

My first passenger had come out of Abilities Unlimited to cancel her ride so dispatch gave me a ready-to-go at Hale Nani Nursing Home but that cancelled when I was on my way and so they looked for another pickup to give me before heading for my three forty five but found nothing that worked well with that so…

So I guess I have a little break at the start of my shift today.

Tuesday.

Just a navigatin’ my way through the day.

So much to do, so much to think about. Bits and threads of information, ideas, promises, desires, responsibilities, enjoyments, interests… my love.

Ah… my love ❤️

“Hey! this is a loading zone! You gotta move your van sir.”

Dang! I’m brought back to this thread. This space. The one I’m in, in THIS moment. Where I’m this official guy wearing an official shirt in this big, official, city vehicle parked in the loading area of this 7-11 and I’m blocking the way for a delivery truck. Guys just trying to do their job and get their load of goods into the place and it obvious that I’m just hanging out. I’m on my phone and I’m writing this blog. And I’m in their way.

“Oh man, sorry guys.”

Navigate man, navigate. I pull out and swing around the block and re-enter the 7-11 lot. Yea I was in the way but this is still the best place to stand by for my three forty five.

There’s a disheveled man sitting against the wall of the 7-11 and he moves as I pull in and get out. I chat a bit with the delivery guys to smooth any possible tension.

No need. All good.

Another thread navigated. Onto the next one. The next of endless threads in this life web where I find myself today. I can deal with webs. They can be tangled, but they do unravel eventually.

Not like a box.

——

Blessed…