I had the pleasure of meeting an amazing young woman yesterday. I had to share her story.
After my Mom boarded the train to Chicago, I waved goodbye and went back through the station lobby. A young woman in a FedEx fleece was sitting in the station. I thought I'd seen her come off the train - it departs Grand Rapids on it's way to Holland and Chicago. I asked if she needed a ride a somewhere and she said - "Sure" and seemed a little surprised at the offer.
Shandra works for the FedEx Kinkos store in Holland about 5 miles from the station. On our short journey, I learned that she has worked there for about a year and loves the company. She lives in Grand Rapids and takes the train from there to Holland every weekday. Be prepared to be awed - each morning she takes the bus from her north side Grand Rapids apartment to the station on the southeast side for a 7:50 am departure to Holland. It arrives about 8:30 am. She then waits for a bus (if the train isn't late) to the store but often walks the five miles. She works until 9 but if the store closes later she can't take a bus back to the train station and if a co-worker isn't able to driver her, she walks those 5 miles where she boards the train to Grand Rapids at about 9:30 pm. When she arrives in GR, the buses have already stopped running so she walks many miles to her apartment on the north side of town - a walk that initially took 2 hours she has now carved down to 45 minutes.
"My friends try to get me to do things on weekends," Shandra said, "but I just want to sleep in and lay around."
No kidding!
She explained that she really liked her job and the company and was planning to stay with FedEx for a long time. Apparently the company has a program that will pay for some of her college and she plans to take advantage of that by going back to school and studying international business. Not sure how she will fit that in to her already full day, so I ask if she thought it might be easier if she moved to Holland.
"I'm thinking of it before it gets too cold and the snow starts falling. It's not easy walking in the cold and snow."
One of her coworkers has told her about some apartments close to work that she is going to walk to on her lunch break one day this week.
As I dropped her, I wanted to do more for this industrious and inspiring young woman. I felt the urge to offer her more frequent rides or to help her find the apartment, but I didn't want to be too creepy (though I will stop in periodically to check on her). I also got the feeling that she's a pretty independent sort!
I knew that you'd be impressed too with this young woman's tale.
After my Mom boarded the train to Chicago, I waved goodbye and went back through the station lobby. A young woman in a FedEx fleece was sitting in the station. I thought I'd seen her come off the train - it departs Grand Rapids on it's way to Holland and Chicago. I asked if she needed a ride a somewhere and she said - "Sure" and seemed a little surprised at the offer.
Shandra works for the FedEx Kinkos store in Holland about 5 miles from the station. On our short journey, I learned that she has worked there for about a year and loves the company. She lives in Grand Rapids and takes the train from there to Holland every weekday. Be prepared to be awed - each morning she takes the bus from her north side Grand Rapids apartment to the station on the southeast side for a 7:50 am departure to Holland. It arrives about 8:30 am. She then waits for a bus (if the train isn't late) to the store but often walks the five miles. She works until 9 but if the store closes later she can't take a bus back to the train station and if a co-worker isn't able to driver her, she walks those 5 miles where she boards the train to Grand Rapids at about 9:30 pm. When she arrives in GR, the buses have already stopped running so she walks many miles to her apartment on the north side of town - a walk that initially took 2 hours she has now carved down to 45 minutes.
"My friends try to get me to do things on weekends," Shandra said, "but I just want to sleep in and lay around."
No kidding!
She explained that she really liked her job and the company and was planning to stay with FedEx for a long time. Apparently the company has a program that will pay for some of her college and she plans to take advantage of that by going back to school and studying international business. Not sure how she will fit that in to her already full day, so I ask if she thought it might be easier if she moved to Holland.
"I'm thinking of it before it gets too cold and the snow starts falling. It's not easy walking in the cold and snow."
One of her coworkers has told her about some apartments close to work that she is going to walk to on her lunch break one day this week.
As I dropped her, I wanted to do more for this industrious and inspiring young woman. I felt the urge to offer her more frequent rides or to help her find the apartment, but I didn't want to be too creepy (though I will stop in periodically to check on her). I also got the feeling that she's a pretty independent sort!
I knew that you'd be impressed too with this young woman's tale.
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