Sam that Taxi driver

Our last trip to LA was a lot of firsts for the boys. First trip in an airplane, first trip to Disneyland, first time meeting new in-laws. So Saturday night we decided to go out to a nice restaurant another first for the boys, and arrive via taxi, yet another first. This is where we met Sam the taxi driver. Nessa and the boys piled into the back and I climbed into the front seat, it’s easier to get in and out.
I love talking to taxi drivers. That’s the real reason I like to sit in front. I have had some of the most amazing conversations with taxi drivers. I have had some of the most amazing weird conversations with taxi drivers too. I go into total interview mode, its fun; I recommend it to everyone who ever rides in a taxi.
“So I notice your accent Sam, where are you from?”
“well… it’s a small country in the Mediterranean.”
“hmm… Greece?”
“No no no, umm, lets see it’s just west of Syria”
At that moment I realized just how little I knew of the Geography of the Middle East, and I have to admit was a little embarrassed, but I guessed anyways… “Turkey”
“No no no turkey is to the North. Our president was recently assassinated, it was big news”
“I’m sorry Sam I’m just not up to snuff on the Middle East”
“I am from Lebanon!” he said with a proud smile.
Well, in my brain the only thing that registers with Lebanon is Beirut and embassies and snipers and bombings and such. Not wanting to go that direction I ask him how long he has been in the US.
“twenty-four years” he says. “I came to America to get an education. The president of Lebanon was a very smart and wealthy businessman, and he offered anyone who wanted to come to the United States to go to college fifty thousand dollars. This was not a loan he gave you the money. The idea was that you would bring your education back to Lebanon. He was tired of the violence and was very peace minded, and he was rich! He didn’t want any more fighting. He was a very smart man.”
“And generous too it sounds like”
“well he was very smart.”
“and you don’t have to pay the money back?”
“nope.” “Actually…”, he said handing me a pamphlet from between the seat. It showed a distinguished looking man and a bunch of words in a language I couldn’t read.
“Sorry Sam I don’t speak Slavik”
“It’s Lebanese!”, he said with a laugh. “It’s the son of the former president. There is an election coming up, and he is calling all of the people his father sent to The United States to return to Lebanon and vote. He’ll even buy the plane ticket.”
“Huh?”
“Ya he will by the plane ticket so that I can go vote in the election. It’s a very important election.”
“are you going to go?”
“I don’t know”
“Do you have family there?”
“yes and family here too.”
“oh, are you married?”
“yes, that’s the problem, my wife won’t go with me”
“How come?”
“well… Lebanon holds on to a lot of tradition when it comes to women, you know, wear black, hide face, walk on other side of the road”
“really, so it mostly a Muslim country?”
“no, fifty - fifty probably Muslim, Christian”
“so then why the laws?”
“it is a very old country, with very old laws”
“I see, how did you meet your wife?”
“Well I was going to school in Boston…”
“What were you going to school for?”
“engineering”
“You’re an engineer?”
“yes I have a Bachelors in electrical engineering”
“and you drive a cab?”
“You do what you have to do, I have a business, a store that sells imports. Business is not so good right now. I have to pay the bills you know?”
“all too well, so your wife runs the store while you drive a taxi?”
“yes and the kids help too”
“How many kids do you have?”
“Three, three girls.”
“oh man, poor guy, you are OUT… NUM… BERERD.”
“you’re telling me!” (laughs)
“so you met your wife in college?”
“no I met her in Canada.”
“huh?”
(chuckles) “ I met her working for the United Way in Canada. She was here on the same program.”
“So you fell in love and moved to California.”
(laughs) “yes and moved to California.”
“Why California, why didn’t you go back to Lebanon?”
“Well like I said, thing are not so good for women there, some laws are very old, and she, well she is used to her freedoms here. We had a friend here so we packed up the car and drove here.” “so you are staying here for her.”
“yes and for the children.”
“That’s what Dad’s do”, I said
He paused and looked at me for a second, “yes, I guess that’s what Dad’s do.”