A Tribute to Serde Corp

On Thanksgiving Day, I rolled into Union Station in Chicago at about 11p.m.  I was a little bit concerned about getting a cab at that hour on Thanksgiving -- especially, since the train and the train station were pretty deserted at that time.

However, a cab greeted me outside that would make my entire day.  It was driven by one, Serde Corp.

It remains to be seen if this cab driver actually incorporated his name at some point; however, he and I were fast friends.  We never actually talked beyond a "Where are you headed?"  But, we were forever linked by his music selections.

I have a long standing theory that cab drivers look at their passengers as they get in, judge them and change the music selection accordingly.  I cannot count the number of times I have gotten into a cab, and they change the music almost immediately to easy listening.  I get it, I look like I would enjoy some Toto.  I actually do.  But, that doesn't mean they have to assume it.  

But Serde Corp was already into his music selection when I got in.  It was his playlist, and I loved him for it.

The song that was playing when I got in was "Nightshift."  Serde proceeded to start to softly sing along with the song in his heavy dialect.  "Gonna be some sweet sounds coming down on the night shift..."

I was already smiling so big that I felt a little awkward that he might think I was making fun of him.  I wasn't.  It was just this really wonderful moment of someone freely enjoying their music.

The next song was..."I Wanna Dance With Somebody," by Whitney Houston.  The best thing about this?...He jammed out to "Somebody ooooo...somebody oooo....somebody who loves meeee, yeah..."  Jammed.

The glory of Serde Corp doesn't end there.  The next song to come on was a heavy techno song, which confused me.  This was not like the Serde I knew.  Thankfully, he reached for the iPod, changed the song and the sweet sounds of "The Gambler" came floating to the back seat.  

I don't think I have ever really learned as much about knowing when to hold them and fold them as I did from Serde Corp's passionate rendition of this song. 

It was about this time that we rolled up at my corner.  I gave him a few extra dollars tip.  You know, a little extra for the show.

I went home and bought "Nightshift" from iTunes that night.