Vote

My taxi driver’s sticker.

Last night I had the opportunity to take the taxi ride of my life.

Whenever I ride in a taxi I always strike up a conversation with the driver.  This particular driver had moved to the U.S. from Ethiopia four years ago and was very talkative.

First off, he told me he loves America and cannot understand how some Americans seem to not like our country.

He has a wife and twin boys who are about to turn four years old.  He drives a taxi sixty to seventy hours a week and never takes a vacation.  He said, “I came here to work and make a life for my wife and kids, why would I ever take a day off?”

He is fighting diabetes and we talked about his medication regimen, exercise and eating habits.  He shared that he thinks the diabetes came about because in his homeland they only eat natural foods and since he’s been in the U.S. he’s been eating way too much fast/junk food.

He has a strong faith in Christ through his Catholic religion.

The reason this ride was the ride of my life was because earlier in the day my driver had voted for the very first time as an American citizen. He proudly showed me his sticker.  He went on to tell me he always had a dream to become a U.S. citizen and vote on his own volition.  He shared that in Ethiopia they are told who they have to vote for.

He was so excited as he openly discussed the thought process he used in voting for our next President.  He proudly told me who he voted for. He was also asking me questions about Democrats and Republicans and which were better…hmmm…he didn’t know what “oxymoron” meant. 🙂

Then he asked me if I would share with him who I was going to vote for and I did and he had a good laugh when I told him, “great minds think alike.”

The sticker in the picture is his.

How many of us take that sticker for granted?

Next to the gratitude I have for God and what He’s done in my life, is the gratitude I have for a nation that allows me to do many things millions of others in the world can only dream about…like vote for whomever I want.

P.E.A.C.E.

Jay@EagleLaunch.com