Intuition . . . Harry the Cleveland Cabbie

Intuition: in·tu·i·tion [in-too-ish-uh n, -tyoo-] noun

1. direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process; immediate apprehension.

As we walked towards the elderly, gray haired, slightly stooped man standing near the bar he looked up and said cheerfully, “I’m your ride.” Following the man towards the front of the restaurant I thought to myself, “What a nice man; taxi drivers sure are friendly here!”

To celebrate the successful completion of a two day internet marketing seminar in Cleveland, my husband and I had just finished dinner at The Flying Fig. The Fig is a wonderful, tiny “hole in the wall” restaurant which was highly recommended by others on the internet as the best new American place in north Cleveland. The food and wine were wonderful, and we had asked our server to call us a taxi to take us back to our hotel.

After we slid into the back of the cab the man climbed into the driver’s seat, handed us business cards and said, “My name is Harry, if you’re ever back in Cleveland I work most nights from 4 till about midnight, some nights till 2AM when the bars close. I sure would appreciate it if you would give me a call if you’re ever back in town and need a ride.” My husband and I looked at each other with the same thought, “When we’re back in town?” We had never been to Cleveland before and were not planning on coming back any time soon.

Being accustomed to the generally surly manner of New York cabbies we were astonished at our driver’s cheerfulness. Nevertheless, we took his card, which depicted a taxi and in big blue letters said “Call Harry” with a phone number. We told Harry where we were going and sat back as he regaled us with a tour of downtown Cleveland. “Over there is the last steel mill in town,” he said. “There used to be five big mills in Cleveland, but that’s the only one left. They only survived by doing the small jobs that no one else wanted to do. It’s a shame all those boys put outta work.” The talk continued like that until we arrived at our hotel. We paid and thanked Harry and went up to our room.

As we undressed and began to pack to be ready to leave early the next morning my husband asked me, “Did I give you my cell phone? It’s not in my coat pocket where I thought I left it.” As he searched his coat and pants I immediately told him “Harry has your phone. There are no coincidences. Why else would a cabbie in a city we don’t plan to revisit give us his card?” I have no idea exactly how I knew the phone’s location, but I was certain. My husband was less sure. He said, “Well, let’s try calling my cell phone and see if anyone answers.” So, I gave him my Blackberry and he dialed his cell. “No answer” he said. “I’m going to try and call the restaurant. I know I had the phone there. Maybe someone found it. I sure hope I find it.” I said, “Just call Harry; he has the phone.” I listened as my husband spoke with someone at The Flying Fig. No one there had found a cell phone. He thanked the hostess for looking, hung up and said “Darn! It’s going to cost us $50 to replace that phone and I’ll be without it for several days.” All I said was, “Call Harry.”

More to humor me than anything else he said “OK” and dialed the number on the card Harry had given him. I listened as he haltingly explained to Harry, who picked up instantly, that he had lost his phone and wondered if Harry could check in the back of the cab for it. When he hung up I asked my husband, “What did Harry say?” He replied, “He said he’d call me back if he found it.”

Just then, my Blackberry began to ring. Bob answered the phone. It was Harry. He had found the cell phone. I listened as they arranged for Harry to return to our hotel and drop off the phone. When he got off the phone with Harry, Bob asked me, “How were you so sure the phone was in the cab?” “I just felt it!,”  I said. I had no hard facts substantiating my certainty, which perplexed my skeptical husband. However, from the moment I met Harry I felt kindness and serenity radiating from him.  He reminded me of Clarence from It’s a Wonderful Life! I believe that just like Clarence he sparked the faith that was dormant in my husband and reinforced my belief that there are no coincidences.

As an empowerment coach I work on the premise that we all have the answers within us. We know far more than we give ourselves credit for. Yet too often, usually with regret, we disregard our intuition. How great would it be to trust in what you know for sure and feel confident doing so?

Harry called my Blackberry again when he arrived back at our hotel. My husband told me later that when he gave Harry a $20 tip for returning the phone he said, “Let me give you a ten back, the trip wasn’t worth that much.” When Bob told him to keep the twenty, and that it would have cost him $50 and a lot of hassle to replace the phone Harry said jokingly, “Well then you owe me another $30!” Maybe we will have to return to Cleveland…

How would you like to learn what it would take to confidently rely on your intuition? Please contact me to reply with your thoughts and comments.

Enjoy Life Today!