November 3, 2005 - "Don't Let the Grass Grow Under Your Feet"
Minneapolis is just as big as I remembered it to be. The funny thing is that the last time I was here, my flight coming in was delayed (for very silly reasons) and I needed to cover 2 miles (literally) to get to the connecting gate (trying to get to Rochester, Minnesota for the PM&R oral boards). We didn't make it, triggering a chain reaction of infuriating events. This time, I gave myself 3 hours to connect. The flight left Newark on time and the connecting gait is only 30 yards from where I arrived. I guess it adds "insult to injury" that I left the house at 4 A.M. to make this early flight. Anyway, I'm rather annoyed at that guy, Murphy, for coming up with his/her laws.
But, sometimes things take a turn for the better. I decided to book this flight in first class. Why not? I’ve been accumulating frequent flyer miles for over a decade without redeeming a single one. Sometimes it’s better to take the bills from under the mattress and put them to use. The nice thing is that two paths get you into Northwest Airlines’ lounge…a membership or a first class ticket on an international flight. Canada counts.
As I started my three hour wait, a very pleasant woman stopped to ask me about my little laptop…she was looking for such a one for her travels. Harlene has a passion for exploring the World. Her life had recently met with adversity which she met head-on. In the process, she has redirected her life away from her previous career to a path that takes her to more corners of the World. She now manages the travel for countless fortunate individuals who benefit from her experiences and knowledge of local and remote regions.
We spent the time discussing how “life is not a dress rehearsal”, and how elusive a balanced existence can be. I was fascinated by the number of individuals from completely different walks of life that she refers to on a first name basis. Whether it is the Far East, Middle East, or the not-so-East, she has “family”. It would be an absolutely insane study of the “seven degrees of separation”.
It was a lovely way to spend an hour or so and I am a richer person for it. One finds inspiration in the strangest of places and I am now much fonder of MSP, otherwise known as the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport.
But, sometimes things take a turn for the better. I decided to book this flight in first class. Why not? I’ve been accumulating frequent flyer miles for over a decade without redeeming a single one. Sometimes it’s better to take the bills from under the mattress and put them to use. The nice thing is that two paths get you into Northwest Airlines’ lounge…a membership or a first class ticket on an international flight. Canada counts.
As I started my three hour wait, a very pleasant woman stopped to ask me about my little laptop…she was looking for such a one for her travels. Harlene has a passion for exploring the World. Her life had recently met with adversity which she met head-on. In the process, she has redirected her life away from her previous career to a path that takes her to more corners of the World. She now manages the travel for countless fortunate individuals who benefit from her experiences and knowledge of local and remote regions.
We spent the time discussing how “life is not a dress rehearsal”, and how elusive a balanced existence can be. I was fascinated by the number of individuals from completely different walks of life that she refers to on a first name basis. Whether it is the Far East, Middle East, or the not-so-East, she has “family”. It would be an absolutely insane study of the “seven degrees of separation”.
It was a lovely way to spend an hour or so and I am a richer person for it. One finds inspiration in the strangest of places and I am now much fonder of MSP, otherwise known as the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport.
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