What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
Before I retired, I was a long haul truck driver. My route was from Woodland, CA to either Edmonton, Alberta, Canada or Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Each week, I drove 3200 miles to 3400 miles and was home on the weekends.
Fear
My occupation inevitably became a topic of conversation in social settings. When I told them what I did, other women would ask, “Are you afraid?
Usually, I would ask “Afraid?” “Afraid of what?” I’m sure at times it came across indignant.
I began to evaluate my physique. I’m not what one might think of as a typical truck driver but also I’m not a shrinking violet either. Are they asking because they thought I couldn’t do the job? and was afraid of failure.
The frequent questions compelled me to understand their perspective. To be more understanding, to be more compassionate. Why would they ask such a question? Why are they afraid?
I realized the question wasn’t about me. They were projecting their own fears. “Afraid of getting lost” “Afraid of being assaulted” “Afraid of being alone”.
3+ Million Miles
Over the course of my career, I have driven nearly four million miles. And I have never been afraid of the above mentioned fears. My use of modern technology and a GPS system in my truck kept me on track. As for getting assaulted, that can happen to anyone at anytime, one must know their surroundings at all times. As for being alone, if you are a believer, one is never truly alone.
My name is Michelle Wishart, but most of you know me as Bell, a motorcycle enthusiast with Bells Rides. Between careers, I was a Private Investigator for three years. I specialized in locating people who didn’t want to be found or those who were taken against their will. I tapped into my experience with real life investigations and recovering human trafficking victims for my fictional stories in The Russian Hit, Human Cargo, and Human Theft.
After retiring from my formal career as a heavy equipment contractor and later a long haul commercial driver, my husband and I traveled full-time in our RV for two years. Exploring the United States, traveling to motorcycle rallies and riding destination.
In 2022, I became a member of the Guinness World Record Book along with over a hundred and forty fellow riders in the World Record Poker Run. Benefitting Rider Down, a non-profit organization for riders involved in a life altering motorcycle accident.
In that same year, 2022, I formed my publishing company, “Bell’s Publishing Co, LLC”, to publish my work. And I finished writing my first novel in a series of novels, The Roxxy Foxx Series.
Our new adventure is traveling and living on our Sea Ray 500 Sedan Bridge. I’m juggling my time between working on a twenty-year-old boat and working on the second novel in the Roxxy Foxx Series, Monstro, Human Cargo and Human Theft, while traveling on the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) up and down the eastern seaboard.
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