Wednesday, December 16, 2009

MVD

Not to be confused with MVP: Most Valuable Player or
MVT: Mountain View Toros or
DVD: Digital Video Device.

Nope.
MVD: Motor Vehicle Division.
A true melting pot.
People watching at its finest.
It ranks right up there with the airport and blood labs in terms of the interesting mix of people you see.

It’s where I spent my lunch hour and then some today. Much to my dismay, my driver’s license picture apparently was due for a refresh (I guess they only let you keep your picture for 12 years). I’ve been putting it off for months now, but recently was reminded that I needed to get that done due to some MVD misfortune in the life of a relative to remain nameless.

So why not today? Today seemed like a perfect day to go. Mid-week, middle of the month. No lunch plans. No urgent shopping or errands. I looked up the locations online and was delighted that there was one not too terribly far from my office. I work in the Esplanade at 24th & Camelback, right across the street from the Biltmore. The closest MVD office was at 28th and Washington, so I figured I’d just pop in and out real quick.

NOT.

There was no “popping” and nothing “quick” about it. The man who assisted me assured me that today was slow compared to a typical Monday or Friday. Slow? Is that what you call a line out the door (literally) and a packed waiting room? So glad I didn’t go on Monday or Friday.

On the way there, I hit every single light red. Every one. And I’m pretty sure that everyone with a car in central Phoenix was in it today at 12:00. Crazy lunchtime traffic. Call it Christmas I guess. I did take the opportunity to read lots of bumper stickers and billboards and check out the scenery of aging central Phoenix as I journeyed south on 24th street towards Washington.

One billboard that caught my eye was plastered with a Coke ad. The picture showed two bottles of coke packaged together, with the tagline “New 2-pack. Enough for your whole meal.”

As if we don’t get enough caffeine and sugar in one 32 oz bottle of pop. Now we need two 50-ouncers at a sitting to jack our metabolism into overdrive. Nice.

I also watched with sadness as a quite heavy-set elderly woman limped in slow motion across the crosswalk, taking the full 30 seconds to cross, cigarette burning in one hand, shopping bags in the other, clearly living a hard life.

Even more disheartening was the sight of 7 firefighters/paramedics crouched around what appeared to be a large pile of a man on the sidewalk at Washington and 24th, in an attempt to resuscitate life. No cars around. No signs of an accident. Perhaps a full-time pedestrian. Very sad indeed.

The MVD provided its own set of unique characters from all walks of life, every shade of skin, several languages being spoken, multiple cultures and religions manifest through headdresses and gowns, Jesuit school uniforms, tattooed symbols and crosses. I was clearly overdressed for the crowd, coming during my lunch hour and all, dressed in my gray slacks, sparkly turtleneck and high heels. And I was clearly the minority today as I sat in the waiting area with at least 50 other Arizonans waiting their turn to meet face to face with one of the MVD employees.

But in the end, I am really not much different than any of them. Not too different at all. We are all children of God. All of us. Me, you, the old lady crossing the street, the homeless man on the sidewalk, the tattooed teenager in the waiting area, the government worker behind the counter, the 4-year old little girl wearing a headdress. All here because we chose Christ’s plan in that great council in heaven before we came to earth. All trying our best to make it through this life and make sense of it all. All pursuing joy and happiness in our own ways.

I am beyond grateful today, however, that in my quest for happiness and joy, that I know where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going. So grateful for the incredibly blessed life I have and the gift of family. So grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the incredible sacrifice he made so that I can return to him someday with my eternal family. So grateful to be me.

And so glad that my new DL picture is good for another 12 years…

1 comment:

  1. A great post.....

    and there is an MVD at Greenfield and Baseline, hardly ever a line (except Saturdays).

    You didn't see my brother out there did you??

    See you soon,
    Beth

    ReplyDelete