“Sometimes you just need a break, in a beautiful place, alone, to figure everything out.”

I got a call to pick up this guy at the Emergency Center. This is a take them to their car 99% of the time.

This rough-looking man crawls into the shuttle. Looks to be in his late sixties or early seventies.

Where do you want to go my friend?

To the Children’s Hospital.

Whoops. OK. Because the Hospital is so huge, often people park in the wrong garage and end up leaving themselves a very long walk to their destination. In these situations it is best to have them follow me to the parking garage close to where they need to go.

So I ask him where he parked.

I didn’t. I don’t have a car. I walked to the hospital.

I ponder that for a minute.

Mind if I ask how far?

Five miles.

Five miles. Why?

I had a heart attack.

I’m beginning to suspect a line of B.S. is flowing my way. No one in their right mind has a heart attack and walks five miles to a hospital.

How do you know you had a heart attack?

I’ve had five of them. I know a heart attack.

Wow. My mind is racing. This guy had a heart attack and walked five miles to the Emergency Center. Now he wants to go to the Children’s Hospital.

Shouldn’t you be back at the Emergency Center? Why do you want to go to the Children’s Hospital?

I got tired of waiting. Besides, I want to see my grandson before he dies.

At this point I start to doubt my hearing. Did I just hear what I heard?

What? Wait a minute. How old is your Grandson?

Four years old.

Oh man. How to react to that. He seems so sincere. Either this guy is the world’s biggest B.S. artist or one of its most unfortunate souls.

I kind of meekly ask…what is he dying of?

Something to do with his stomach.

We arrive at the Children’s Hospital. As he disappears through the doors I don’t know whether to feel sadness or call Security.

As I continue to prowl the hospital grounds, in a garage near the main entry, five cops have a man in handcuffs.

Is this a hospital or a circus? Hey God……are you pranking me?

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson