Nuevo Hippie Flower Child, and Prison Life in the Rear View Mirror

Crystal Clear Peace

She was like a page from Woodstock in 1969, giving me the “Peace Sign” as I pulled up.

I could hear small bells on her loose-fitting bell bottoms tinkling as she entered the car.

Flashback!

The psychedelic pop refrain of “The Rain, The Park, and Other Things,” a 1960’s song by The Cowsills, rushed through my mind.

“I Love the Flower Girl.”

She had a tiny lily tucked into her headband to complete the nuevo hippie look.

“Good morning,” I said as reality entered the sweet daydream moment.

“Yes, it is, Peace,” she responded cheerfully as we eased our way into the slow rush hour traffic.

We rolled along at 10 mph for the first ten minutes of the ride.

Illustration by Bob Reilly

“Peace Indeed. Hey, let me show you something.”

I then lifted my hand and revealed the sign of peace.

“Do you know what this is?”

“Yeah, of course. The Peace Sign.” She laughed.

“Okay, if this is the Peace Sign, what is this?”

I then added the third finger.

“Um, three? Uh, a W?”

“Nope.”

I then repeated the process and intentionally implied I was giving a clue.

“If this is a Peace Sign, then what is this?”

I slowly lifted my third finger.

“I don’t know, tell me.”

“Well, if two fingers in the air is a Peace Sign, then three fingers in the air is a Mo Peace Sign. You know, More Peace.”

We both laughed.

“I came up with the idea years ago. #MoPeaceLiving.”

“Cool. I love it. We need more peace in these days, don’t we?”

“Yes, we do.”

“I’m going to use that sign, Mo Peace.”

She lifted her right hand and snapped a picture of her newly found three-finger sign.

“Sir, I have a little gift for you.”

She reached into her Tibetan-style beaded shoulder bag and pulled out a small object.

“Here. This is for you. It’s a Himalayan crystal. I sell them to people. It will help boost your spiritual energy level and increase your wisdom. It’s good for other things too.”

“Wow. That’s so kind of you.”

I accepted her gift and clutched it in my palm.

We continued our conversation about world peace, crystals, and some of my early hippie movement stories from years gone by.

When we arrived at her destination, I handed her a $10 bill.

“Now, here is my gift to you. Mo Peace,” I lift three fingers.

“Mo Peace to you as well. Thank you so much!”

As she departed in a joyful state, I smiled.

The hustle, horns, and hassle of the morning din outside was a fading backdrop to a breath of fresh air.

Crystal Clear.

Peace!

Photo by Bob Reilly

Celebratory Redemption Ride

“Damn, I can’t believe it. He’s out, my brother’s out. Thank you, Jesus!”

My rider was quite animated and very loud as he entered my vehicle.

“Oh shit. It’s real. It’s real. The day has come. I can’t believe it.”

“Good morning, my friend. You seem awful excited today,” I smiled into the back seat before we hit the road.

“Excited! Excited! Man, I can’t believe it’s for real. My brother is being released from prison today. It’s been a long road.”

I glanced down at the rideshare app and noticed we had one stop along the way.

“Are we heading to the prison now for the first stop?”

“Yeah, let’s go. He’s waiting for us. We’re coming back here for a prison release party tonight.”

On our way to the state prison, my passenger told me a little bit about his brother’s history. Twenty years ago, he went to prison to serve his sentence. He was involved in a very violent crime and is the first of three people involved to be released on good behavior. The other two had more severe convictions.

“Man, that’s hard stuff,” I told him.

“Hell yeah. It’s harder than hard. It’s almost impossible to imagine. There were many times when he felt like giving up. Killing himself. He believed he would die in his cell one way or another. Hard shit.”

“Damn. I don’t know what to say, but now, he served his time, and you’re celebrating his coming home”

“That’s right! Not only that, but he found Jesus in prison five years ago. That’s a miracle.”

“Amen. I bet his belief helped get him through his suffering.”

“I don’t think he would have made it without God’s mercy. So many were praying for him and God answered our prayers. God’s good.”

I agreed, “Yes, God is most definitely good.”

When we arrived at the prison, my passenger hopped out of the car and went into the entrance.

Within minutes, the two emerged laughing and holding each other tightly.

Once they got inside the car, my passenger told his brother, “Man, this is Robert, our driver. He’s all right.”

His brother said, “Hey.”

That was the only word spoken between us as the two proceeded to laugh, sob, praise God, and reunite for the entire ride home.

I was joyfully honored to experience the moment.

 

My “Rideshare by Robert” blog continues with new stories, poems, and musings based on my published book, “Rideshare by Robert: Every Ride’s a Short Story.”

The book, and the blog, are short stories about actual rides, observations, revelations, and reflections on the rideshare experience. I hope you find the writings informational, humorous, and filled with compassion for the human family.

My second “Rideshare by Robert” book will include selected blogs published in the Baltimore Post-Examiner, pictures, and new stories.

So, climb in, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.

Welcome to “Rideshare by Robert.”

A place where anything can happen and usually does.

Disclaimer

I have tried to provide anonymity to all individuals portrayed in my writings while maintaining the story’s integrity. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. And, in some cases, the not-so-innocent. I have substituted the characteristics of individuals in my writings to further my attempt to maintain anonymity. Conversations and other details are based on my best recollection and notes. Although I have spent time driving with many celebrities and public figures over the years, I’ve intentionally omitted their names in my writings. I’ve also modified actual locales along with other details such as when and where the rides occurred to maintain my objective of rider privacy and anonymity.

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