My Life Couldn't Get Worse

So it started out I needed to show two forms of ID for my utilities. (I was the designated person to put the bill in my name.) They wouldn’t take an email so I had to go out all the way down to their building which is 531 W. Center St., Provo. I found the bus that would take me there but I had to walk about 15 minutes after the bus stop. I ended up walking too far and turned around and ran back, afraid that I would be late. Their building closed at 6:00 and it was 5:42.

I didn’t see the Provo City Utilities building anywhere, so I walked into some random company’s building and asked where it was. There were two men and a woman there. They said, “Provo City utilities? Honey you’re in Orem. This is 531 W. Center St., Orem you need to be in Provo.” I about fainted. I had just walked 15 minutes in the blazing heat, speed walked in fact, and I was in Orem. I said you’re kidding. They said no.

They were just closing up to get ready to go home. The building I walked into was some loan company.

The lady said, “You know what? I’m headed to Provo. I can take you if you want.” I had no idea who she was. For all I knew she could’ve kidnapped me but I was a little bit desperate so I said, “Are you sure? You don’t need to.”

She said, “No really, it’s okay.” One of the men was her husband. He said, “Yeah! She can take you. Trust me, she’s nice.” They looked all professional and good so I wasn’t too worried.

^^^I found this pic in my camera roll when I got home…I was waiting for her to unlock her car…^^^

I got in her car. It smelled delicious, like vanilla and I felt bad because I was sweating because I’d just ran in the blazing heat. I probably smelled terrible. We got going on the freeway and she started making small talk with me.

What’s your name? Where are you from? Where do you live now? Where do you go to school? What are you majoring in? She managed to have a response for everything I said. She asked about my family and how many siblings I had. I told her I had a sister on a mission in Mexico, assuming she could be Mormon, and if not, it could make conversation. She responded by telling me she had nephews who served in Mexico and nieces in Peru… Okay. Good. She was Mormon too.

Provo city utilities closed at 6 and we finally pulled up at 5:57. She said, “I’ll wait for you right here.” Not really thinking I said, “Okay, thanks,” and sprinted in the building.

There were 4 people in front of me. They went quickly and it was my turn. I gave her my license and social security card and she took them to the back and said it would be just a minute. I realized that I shouldn’t make the lady that drove me wait, so I ran back outside and told her that she didn’t need to wait for me. I told her thank you probably 6 times. She was so kind to do what she did. She told me she could wait, but I insisted I was fine and she could go. I looked in my wallet to give her some money and I only had a 5 dollar bill. It was a little much, but she deserved it. I got it out to give to her and she was like, “No, no, no. Really. I was going to Provo anyway.” I said thank you about 3 more times and went back inside the building.

The lady gave me my license and social security card and I left.

I looked up the next bus that could take me to my apartment. It was the 850 bus and it was coming in 4 minutes. I was all turned around. I knew I was on center street but that was it. I just started walking, looking at the map on my phone to see if I was waking the right way. I looked up and saw the 850 bus drive right past me, the next block over! In my mind I was like, “Oh shoot. That’s my bus and if I miss it I will die.”

I started sprinting after it. It went through a green light and finally stopped at a bus stop. It was far in front of me but I was hauling it! (BTW. Before I left my apartment, I had the impression to wear my running shoes and now I know why. The church is true) The bus left the stop and started again and I thought, “Oh my goodness! I’m just going to be chasing this thing all the way home!!”

^^^My blue raspberries saved my life today.^^^

It finally got stopped at a red light and being a bit out of my mind, I got up to the door and knocked on it to get let in. He shook his head and pointed up the road. Obviously they couldn’t let in anywhere. They had to be at a stop. So I started running again. The bus pulled up and I got on. I found a seat in the back and looked at the map app on my phone. We weren’t following the route I was supposed to follow. We were going south and I was supposed to go north!!!

I walked up to the front and asked the driver where we were going. He talked so quietly that I just barely got a few words. Eventually, he pulled up to the Provo front runner station and stopped the bus to let everybody off. I clarified what he told me and asked what bus I should take to get to my apartment by State Street. He looked at me and said, “You’re not listening to me are you?! ”

“Excuse me! You are the one that was talking quiet and being all confusing! I have no idea where I am!!” I wanted to say that but I didn’t. He then started talking to me but by that point I was so flustered I stopped listening. I just nodded and walked off about ready to cry. Then I really did start to cry.

I called my dad and when he answered I lost it. I was sobbing and couldn’t even get a word out. It was the ugly cry. I finally was able to breathe and I told him what happened, that I went to Orem instead of Provo, but some random stranger gave me a ride, and that the bus took me to the Provo station and I didn’t know where I was. I took about three minutes for me to get all that out because I was crying so hard. Serious. Just ask him. It was embarrassing.

He found the bus I should take and we hung up. The bus wasn’t leaving for another 20 minutes but the driver said I could get on anyway. The bus was off and I was only one on there. After a few minutes some people got on and sat in the very back. They were going off about paying the bills, and things were getting heated! I kid you not they started saying the F word every other word they said. They threw in the S word in there multiple times too-just to add icing to the cake. I probably heard them swear for 5 minutes straight – not even exaggerating. Hearing that profanity just added salt to the wound.

But here I am now, sitting in my apartment, I have a blister on my right ankle from running and red eyes from crying. At the beginning of this post I said my life couldn’t be worse, but let’s be honest, it could. I don’t have cancer, I am not paralyzed, I’m not in debt. I have a family, I have food in my fridge, I have an apartment, and now, because of today I have utilities.

Life is good. Hard at times. But good.

(P.S. who votes my roommates should pay me a labor fee for my sacrifice for them today? $100 each sounds about right.)