Murphy's World

'Fairy grandfather' awakens sleepy driver

I was driving from Dallas, TX to Omaha, NE. I was very tired and started to do those long extended blinks just outside Lincoln. I just wanted to get home, so I pushed it, but my blinks were getting longer. Even with the radio turned up and the windows rolled down, I was sleepy and struggling to stay awake.
     I opened my eyes from a slow, extended blink, and as real as anything, I saw a man sitting in my passenger seat. He didn’t say anything. He just turned toward me and gave me a concerned look. I know this sounds weird, but it was a “wake up, kiddo” look.
     Well, I sure did wake up, because, after all, there was a strange man sitting next to me in my truck! Wide- awake, I made it safely home. I told my mum about it and described the man I saw, right down to his black-and-red flannel shirt, like lumberjacks wear. She asked me about it the next day and I described him again. Then she showed me a picture of my father's father. I was amazed; it was him, only in the picture he wasn’t wearing the lumberjack shirt.
     My dad and his sister grew up in an orphanage after their mother left the family, so I never knew anything about my dad’s family until my senior year in high school. My aunt had located their father and he had sent my dad that picture. It was the only photo my dad had of his father, so he kept it safe and tucked away and I never saw it.
     Later, when my dad and his sister went back to their old farm and found out more about their father, it turns out he most always wore black-and-red lumberjack shirts. He hadn’t the day the picture was taken because he was at a funeral. Anyway, I know I saw him in the cab with me that night. It didn't last long, but it left a lasting impression. I never push on when I’m that tired anymore.
     Lavender Trucker
     Omaha, NE

Dear Lavender,
Thanks for the story. I’m glad you made it home safe and sound. If you believe in your heart that your grandfather visited you that very moment in the cab when you were about to fall asleep behind the wheel, then he probably saved your life and perhaps the lives of others on the road that night.
     I’m also glad to hear you’ve learned your lesson. It’s a lesson all of us who spend long hours running through Murphy’s World in big rigs can’t afford to forget. The minute you feel sleepy, pull over, get off the road and get some sleep. Not everyone has a “fairy grandfather” looking out for them.

Regards,

Murphy and Lucky Dog