11-7

11-7 , The best shift. In my opinion of course. Humor, laughter, giddy laughter I mean comes out in all of us in the wee hours of the morning. Work is a wonderful thing to do because not only do you make money but you meet the most unique people. This story is about someone I met at the hospital in the middle of the night. The security guard. I don't even know her name yet I speak to her night after night. She is so nice. Always smiling and pleasant. She is in her 50's, a woman of short statue, long wavy hair and a few missing teeth. How my life crossed with hers is a blessing to me. It makes me think about the luxuries I have like a car. She comes in at 11 pm and gets off at 8 am. Last night it was a horrible night out. The wind was blowing hurricane force and the rain coming down in torrents making the 30 degree weather feel like 15. She waltzed into ICU with the usual smile accentuating all the missing teeth. I like this lady , she makes me smile. She stated that she was cold tonight. She was wearing long sleeves under a woolly vest with a jacket over. I ask her why she was so cold? Obviously it was warm in the setting of ICU. She told me she just could not seem to warm up after her walk to work. Usually she rides a bike but not tonight , tonight she walked for the distance of approximately 7 miles through the wind and rain. The weather was to bad to ride the bike. Then it hit me of how lucky I am, how blessed that I never have to walk to work especially in the rain. I look at her as unfortunate because she doesn't own a car. She looks at it as a blessing that she has a bike and is able to walk if she needs to. Then I consider how I would feel if I had to walk to work especially on the 11-7 shift in the pouring down rain in 30 degree weather. As far as I know she has never once called in sick. And as I pull out of the parking lot in my nice warm truck, I think of her again knowing in just a little while she will start the long walk home in the pouring down rain with the wind still whipping the leaves along the highway. I almost wait to offer her a ride home but then I don't and am grieved by my decision not to.