Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

It was a dream come true, albeit (very) short lived. I sleep with my Blackberry right next to me on the little plastic platform that Kenworth wants me to think is a nightstand. Every phone call, text message, e-mail, etc. comes to me through this electronic portal to my life. I would be completely lost without this miracle of technology. By the press of a button I can log onto LifeOnTheRoad and read the latest postings and comments. I can even publish a post (without a photo) without ever touching a key via Windows Life Writer.

When a comment to something I’ve written is posted, a little red light on the face of my Blackberry blinks. After posting a piece, I am accustomed to getting a perfunctory red blink and reading that the world is falling apart again – because of those darn Democrats. I read it – have a little chuckle -  and go to bed. I know when my son is texting me good night when I get a “clunk” sound accompanied by the red light. Through the night I will typically get maybe an additional clunk or two and about five red lights as news comes to me from the AP, The New York Times, OOIDA and various Florida newspapers. You get the idea. By the time my alarm goes off, I have plenty to read over my first cup of coffee.

But about a week or so ago, before I got home, I got sooo excited. I thought my time had come. My dream come true. I finally could say goodbye to trucking. I would get that special assignment to cover trucking and logistics in China for The New York Times. Report from Mexico for the Christian Science Monitor – writing an in depth piece about NAFTA.. And land that plumb assignment with CBS to be embedded with our armed forces writing about how we will defeat Al-Qaeda and win over hearts and minds with our superior logistics efforts.

It was about 2:30 AM and I was having trouble sleeping. 40 days OTR does that to a fella. I noticed that the red light on my Blackberry wouldn’t stop blinking. Must be something wrong I thought. Did it need to be charged? Was something wrong with the software. Damn. It’s too valuable to me for something to go haywire on the road. I rolled over. I looked closer at the phone. Holy smokes! What the! Comments, comments and more comments. Comments on just about everything I ever written for LifeOnTheRoad. Wow. Where did these folks come from? I received comments from just about everywhere in the world. Not only comments, but people offering me jobs, money and a whole bunch of “interesting” opportunities. I knew the world would finally come to recognize my talent. Pulitzer Prize here I come.

Blink, blink, blink – minute after minute, hour after hour – day after day. I’m famous! So many comments in fact, that I just didn’t have time to read them. And nothing about evil Democrats or the adolescent name calling of our President. Yes, I had arrived. I would sit there and watch my Blackberry with amazement and joy. Comment – red light blinks, again and again. Comment, comment, comment and on and on. Blink, blink, blink. I really should read some of them. Ah my adoring fans.

I even forwarded one to to Wayne. “Hey Wayne, do you believe this? What’s up?” And then he replied – and then I read some of the comments, replies and messages. Spam. Nothing but garbage. Why is artsy-fartsy plimlico 45678-1 (not real) ruining my dream? This is a terrible thing to do to a famous writer like me. Damn. I guess I just have to wait another year for that Pulitzer. And Wayne, could ya just lie to me next time. Thanks.

Photo credits: www.bernama.com/…/v5/newsworld.php?id=405577, www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/26/60II/main6…, : www.boygeniusreport.com/…/