00:00Have you ever gave someone directions and just became their personal Uber?
00:03I'm leaving Target when this guy in a wrinkled suit asks how to get to the courthouse.
00:06Simple enough, two blocks down, can't miss it.
00:07But then he goes, actually, could you just drive me?
00:09I'll pay you 50 bucks.
00:10I'm thinking this is weird, but 50 bucks is 50 bucks.
00:12Turns out he's getting divorced today, and his lawyer told him to arrive separately from his wife.
00:16His car's in the shop, every Uber keeps canceling, and he's already 20 minutes late.
00:19During the drive, this guy Dave is sweating bullets, practicing what to say to the judge.
00:22He keeps mumbling about custody and alimony while checking his phone every five seconds.
00:26I start giving him a pep talk without meaning to.
00:28Look, man, just be honest. Tell them what you really want.
00:30He looks at me like I just solved world peace.
00:32You know what? You're right. I'm overthinking this.
00:33We get to the courthouse, and he asks me to wait in the parking lot.
00:36In case I need a getaway driver, he jokes, but I can tell he's serious.
00:39Three hours later, he comes out with this huge grin on his face.
00:42Turns out, when they got in front of the mediator, he and his wife, Linda, started actually talking instead of yelling.
00:47They realized they were both just scared and stressed, not actually wanting to split up.
00:50He hands me $100.
00:51You were my good luck charm, man. That pep talk saved my marriage.
00:55I figure that's the end of it. It's not.
00:56The next week, same guy flags me down outside Target again.
00:59This time, he's with his wife, Linda, and they need a ride to their first marriage counseling session.
01:03We can't drive together yet, Linda explains.
01:06We still argue in cars, but you seem neutral.
01:09So now I'm driving Dave and Linda to therapy every Thursday.
01:12They pay me $60 each session to be their neutral ride, because apparently they can't fight in front of me.
01:16Something about my presence keeps them calm.
01:17The first few sessions, they sit in awkward silence.
01:20By month two, they're actually talking.
01:21By month three, Linda's bringing me homemade cookies.
01:23You know, the therapist tells them during one session, maybe you should hire him as your permanent driver.
01:27You two communicate better in his car than anywhere else.
01:29Dave laughs. He's basically our marriage Uber.
01:31Six months later, they're doing amazing.
01:32They've worked through their issues, renewed their vows, and Dave got a promotion at work.
01:36But they still insist I drive them to therapy because it's tradition now.
01:39Last Thursday, Linda hands me an envelope.
01:41Inside is a wedding invitation.
01:43Not theirs, but for their daughter's wedding next month.
01:45We want you to drive us to the ceremony, Dave says.
01:47You're part of the family story now.
01:49The invitation lists me as Dave and Linda's guardian angel driver.
01:52And honestly, I've got the weirdest, most wholesome side hustle ever.
01:56The wedding was incredible.
01:57I drove them to the venue, stayed for the ceremony, and even caught the bouquet toss by accident.
02:01Dave's daughter Mariah hugged me and said,
02:03Thank you for keeping my parents together.
02:04But it doesn't end there.
02:05Now, I'm the official family driver for everything.
02:07Mariah's baby shower?
02:08I'm driving.
02:09Dave's retirement party.
02:10My Honda's the chariot.
02:11Linda's book club meetings?
02:12Somehow that's my job, too.
02:13The family group chat is called Dave's Angels, and I'm admin somehow.
02:16They send me memes about driving and marriage counseling.
02:18Linda posts pictures of the cookies she's making for my next delivery service.
02:22Last month, Dave's brother Mitchell moved to town and needed help getting around after knee surgery.
02:26Guess who got voluntarily recruited?
02:27Now I've got two regular clients, and Mitchell pays me in homemade salsa that's honestly better than restaurant quality.
02:32Yesterday, Linda called me in a panic.
02:34Dave's stuck at work, Mitchell's at physical therapy, and I need to get to my sister's emergency appendectomy.
02:39I dropped everything and drove her to the hospital.
02:41While we waited, she held my hand and said,
02:43You know, you saved more than just our marriage.
02:45You gave us faith the strangers can become family.
02:47Three families now have me on speed dial.
02:48My Honda's got 60,000 more miles than when this started.
02:51And somehow, I've never been happier with my weird career choice.
02:53Dave was right.
02:54I'm not just a marriage Uber anymore.
02:55I'm the family guardian angel driver, and business is booming.
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