Shaun Groves
When the airline won’t change your seat assignment because, well, they’re out of seats? Chill. When you’re forced to sit on the runway for an hour and a half because there are life-threatening storms belting your destination city? Chill.
I’m doing just that. I’m waiting in the Nashville airport for a flight that’s been delayed for two hours and I’m watching people. I’m watching people stomp around complaining loudly through cell phones about bad service and stupid pilots and days ruined. I’m watching spoiled middle-aged white guys mostly. They’re angry because their plans have been thwarted.
Sometimes everyone does their job well and curve balls still get thrown our way. And, yes, sometimes we’re inconvenienced because of someone else’s incompetence or stupidity. But in either case does it help anyone to act angry, annoyed and just flat out childish?
Sit in the middle seat and remember that some people didn’t wake up this morning.
Drink your in-flight Pepsi product even though you’re a Coke guy and remember that some people are dying of thirst this morning.
Gate check that bag that’s too big to fit in the overhead compartment and remember that some people don’t have enough stuff to fill your suitcase, or any stuff at all.
Be calm and kind when talking to the gate agent and remember she’s someone’s mom, daughter and sister and is just as screwed up and yet loved as you are.
Wait for your delayed flight to board and remember that every change in plans is pregnant with potential good – a chance to grab breakfast, call your wife, take a nap, catch up on e-mails, or just be still and relax.
Chill.
By the way, if we hadn’t been stuck here this morning Brody wouldn’t have made a new friend in line to change our flight.
Brody Harper says:
Update.
Original plan was to leave Nashville, stop at Detroit then on to Canton, OH.
After being told there was a 2 hour delay and we would be missing our connecting flight in Detroit we were told to change flights and now head toward Columbus thru Washington D.C.
Sounds good.
Then we were told to head downstairs to get our bags from baggage because they were going to be taken off our original flight and put on our new Washington D.C. / Columbus flight…. That didn’t happen.
We waited for about an hour, but realized we were about to miss our second flight of the day because there was no one inside the office where our bags were supposed to be delivered.
We went up to ask about our bags at the desk where our flight was changed and were told that our bags were on the flight that we were supposed to be on… headed for Detroit… to (most likely) miss our connecting flight to Canton, OH. Of corse with no one (meaning us) in Detroit to keep track of our bags.
So we actually made the flight to Washington D.C., barely made the connection to Columbus and was picked up by a volunteer headed to the venue.
Our bags…? Somewhere other than here. Our merch? Somewhere other than here. Our Compassion packets? You guessed it… somewhere other than here.
There is a rumor that our bags are still in Detroit and eventually will make it to Canton, but we are not there either.
Confused yet? Me too.
At least I don’t have to play a show tonight.
Grovesfan says:
Sounds like our recent trip home from Miami. $2000 and 6 hours later than planned, we finally made it home. Mad at first, but happy now to have had the credit card to pay with and the kids to come home to.
Beth
RevJeff says:
AMEN!!!!
Inconvenience is the instructor of patience. I always apologize to the staff at the airlines for the others who ate them for breakfast and then I make sure to thank them for their efforts. Usually, I am overwhelmed with how they can get attacked by one customer and then immediately smile and be gracious to the next one…
I am sooooo cutting and pasting this post on my site today… for both of my readers
Life is an adventure, think of those days as extra play for your money!
shaunfan says:
Did Brody actually meet Lily Tomlin? My daughter’s love her work as the voice of the bus driver on “Magic School Bus”. Of course, she’ll always be the “Incredible Shrinking Woman” or the school girl in the big chair skit from SNL to me.
So, did Brody tower over her or is she actually life sized?
Bill says:
Couldn’t agree more with you and RevJeff. Kindness goes along way and is often rewarded. My wife and I had a very similar flight out of Philly a few years back. We waited until everyone else had been processed and then stepped up to the counter. We were truly empathetic with the agent who had been put through the wringer from a plane load of passengers frustrated by a cancelled flight. We ended up with meal tickets to a restaraunt and first class seats.
Greg says:
been there. seen that. thanks for the reminder to chill. because, before i read your post i was stressn’.