No, our move is not officially over...we are 2 out of 3 phases at this point. Today was Phase 2. Phase 1 was incomplete due to poor planning by my father and his choice of movers. Delightful men and fast as lightening but my dad supposedly just said, "bring 2 trucks." And they agreed. Our stuff did not fit in the 2 trucks.
Soooooooooo, today I rented a Penske truck and drove to our storage unit to get the final load. I had the nicest movers from TROSA load the truck. If you need movers in the Durham, NC area, look them up. You'll be helping yourself and helping the mission of TROSA.
I am barely 5' 1". Yet I can totally manhandle a 16 foot diesel truck. As I got in and drove down the road, a flood of memories came over me. You see Dr. Arm and I met when we were both volunteer EMTs. Yes, ambulance drivers. Still, that is my #1 favorite job ever. #2 was being an elementary school nurse. #3 was working at a fine stationery store at Phipps Plaza in Atlanta (I digress).
I loved EMS because it was something no one thought I could do. As a petite Southern debutante, this was waaaaay out of line for The Consuela (aka my mother). Certainly her daughter would not be driving around the wrong zip codes, wearing Doc Martens, cargo pants, a poly/cotton shirt with patches, carrying a radio, speaking in 10-codes, and then ("oh dahlin, please just don't tell me about it") actually TOUCHING the people and their bodily fluids who get in the ambulance.
But I did it for 5 years. They were an awesome time. I've never been more alive. Never felt so accomplished and powerful. And powerful in a good way--by contributing to life and community. It was a high like no other.
So I'm driving this big ass diesel truck feeling good. Then wondering why it's been hard to find that feeling again. Certainly motherhood has been the biggest challenge of all. It ought to be similar right? But motherhood just may not provide the short term, adrenaline kind of rush. And for an adrenaline junkie like me, that sucks sometimes.
So, still driving and thinking, I think this is why mothers cry at graduations, Christmas pagents, dance recitals, weddings, etc. It's like all that slow burn of challenge challenge challenge has finally paid off. It's your defibrillator, your sinus rhythm, your high. But maybe we just need to look for it in the small stuff too? Not every EMS shift is a cardiac arrest or car accident. Sometimes you just make an old lady feel better, sit at a fire waiting to see if any firefighters need oxygen, or help a homeless man get home.
So here's to all the Mother Truckers out there. Find your reward, don't miss the small stuff. I highly recommend hitting the road with a Penske.
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