I had something profound to write about earlier but when I got home from work I lost it.

Here’s something less profound, though:

There’s a woman who is a regular rider with my company and she’s got this harsh disability where all her joints froze up. She walks stiff-legged, her hands are stuck in a duckbill like position if you were making shadow puppets, and her hips must be killing her. She’ll chat up a storm, though.

4 or 5 years ago her son got a full scholarship and randomly decided to go to the college that my mother was a librarian for. We both got a kick out of the coincidence and we talked about it for a few different rides. I gave her son my mom’s email address and I’m unsure if they actually talked or not, but it doesn’t really matter.

When my mom passed away, this lady was very sympathetic. She suggested I pick up a couple different books, one being “Journey of Souls” or something. I put them on my amazon wishlist, but never got around to buying them.

Today I had her in my cab again, and after not seeing her for over a year, she looks much older, thinner, and run down. Like life isn’t treating her well. She never looked like that before, she was always upbeat. She looks like the grandma that she is, I guess (her first son had a daughter that was with her today). She pressed on about the books, and eventually I’ll get to them.

She did say that she knew my mom was looking down on me and proud that I got married to a tall, handsome Englishman and that I was happy. I got a little misty, and am glad that I have this random connection to my mom even in Madison. It’s just how this town works.

It kinda sucks that after being gone over a year I see the definite and depressing signs of aging in some of our regulars. One woman earlier today was now completely gray and pulling an oxygen tank… she only retired about 5 years ago half-gray and no need of extra oxygen.  I think she might just be waiting to die.  She talked as if she hadn’t left the house in a month.  A second woman was leaning more heavily on her walker and speaking much slower with her slurred enunciation.  She had a severe brain injury 15 years ago has gotten to the point that there will be no more recovery or even a plateau of functionality, it’s now turned into a slow decline.  She’s not even really old, more middle-aged.