Everyone has a story….

Everyone has a story…

This post will start with my story this week and end with something a little different.

Flash back to post 11/16/2013 titled “A Travelin’ I Will go if you will. The epic novel of instructions – the trains derailing – the “Boys” heading into town for a quick pint at the pub – you know the one???

Well – this week – I had another trip. I have been fortunate thus far to be pretty low key about travelling.

I was to be out less than 48 hours. Ottawa – Philly – the off to a meeting in Camden NJ. Trip down was uneventful -smooth as glass. Great meetings – great people.

Trip back – well – another story all together.

My flight out last evening at 6:30pm – Philly – Detroit – Ottawa. Boarded the plane – pushed back – sat on the tarmac for an hour and a half. I said to myself…”self…this can’t be good”. Pilot comes on – question?? why do they all sound the same?? do they have to take a course to sound like that??? but I digress – Pilot comes on – “we are pulling back on and deplaning – some mechanical – blah blah blah. Two hours to get maintenance over to fix it.

Frack!! I have a connection and I really want to get home!!! I talk to the “Gate Keeper”  – pleading – I have a connection!!! “Well – he says – you will not make that connection” Double Frack!!! He hands me a card and tells me to “call this number”.

So I call the number. Delta customer support. In my best “business voice” – I tell her that I am stuck and need to get home – she gives me a confirmation number for US air and tells me to go the counter and pick up a boarding pass. Earlier DIRECT flight home…SCORE!!!

Problem  – I am in terminal D and US is in terminal F – like thousands of miles away and I have 20 minutes to get said boarding pass, clear security and find my gate. I am always up for a challenge!!! So off I sprint.

Ducking and weaving through fellow travellers – trying not to lose my shoes or fall flat on my face I spot two cops!! “Fastest way to terminal F” I all but yell!! End of the hall until you can’t go further  – out of the terminal – and back in – it’s right there.

Sounds simple enough right?? Not really- no pedestrian traffic but it’s hot and muggy – my shoes are flopping around.

I make it to the gate and get issued a boarding pass – I call the Gate Keeper a Prince Among Men and tear off to security. Get out the liquids and go searching for my Ipad. Ipad…oh Ipad…where are you??

You know when in cartoon the light goes off over your head?? Well it went off over mine..must have been a million candle watt because in my head I dropped to my knees and screamed NOOOOOOO!!! (I didn’t of course) I left it in the seat pocket of the other plane that is minimum the length of 5 kabillion football fields away!!!

Don’t panic, don’t panic – I guess I looked panicked because the security agent asked me if I was ok. “No I said – I have 15 minutes to get to my gate and I left my (#($#(P*$&@ Ipad on the other plane!!!” What does she tell me to do – “You better run girl!”

AND RAN I DID!! I tore off my shoes and ran outside – yelled at two maintenance engineers – “Fastest way to Terminal D??? Left my IPAD on plane – have 10 minutes!!” they point and yell “Run Girl!!” I swore I hear them say “Look at her go”. The theme from that movie – you know the one?? Chariots of Fire…in the back ground. Hair flying. God I hate running!

Ducking and weaving – heaving and sweating – feet pounding and thighs on fire I run. Like a madwoman. Now it’s a challenge – can I pull this off?? Of course I can!!!

Get to the other gate – out of breath and the Gate Keeper gives me an odd look “Forgot Ipad…gasp gasp…seat 3D…gasp”

I have to hand it to him – he dropped everything – every disgruntled passenger and went running down the jet way to retrieve my errant Ipad. Thank you Delta. The Gate Keeper barrels through the door and while I am running in the other direction he under hand tosses me my Ipad like a well orchestrated Swat and yells – “Run Forrest Run!!” ok not quite but you get the pictures.

And off I go again!!! Running like the Devil himself was on my heels. Over and under – ducking and weaving and around the corner to security. You know that noise that they make in the cartoons when someone comes to a screeching halt?? I am sure everyone heard it when I did – ERRRRTTTT!!!!! Liquids and precious Ipad in bin…my precious…through the body scan and pat down and wouldn’t you know it – my gate is another foot ball field away.

I’m off!!! – I swear I have not run that much since I was forced to in school!!!

Grind to halt and gate F31 and look up at the monitor to make sure I am on time…and it says “Dulles” leaving on time – WTH!!!!

Then I turned around and the basketball court length line should have given it away.

Houston – we have a problem.

I snag a Gate Keeper just to confirm I am at the right gate and she says…get this…”Girl..you have been delayed to 1:00am!!” comical drop to my knees screeching NOOOOOOOO!! – ok – not really. I looked at her – laughed and said – “Really?” She apologises profusely.

Then the Canadian in me kicked in. “Sweetie?” I ask, “Why are you sorry?” she tells me that she is sorry I have been delayed. I look at her again and say “You don’t control the weather, its not your fault” and I thanked her and left her standing there with the most perplexed look on her face. I am sure she has been treated like crap all night and what was I to do?? It was not her fault.

I found a seat, sat down, caught my breath, went to the ladies room and splashed water on my face and prepared myself for the inevitable sleeping on the airport floor…again!

Nope – need a cigarette. I know, I know, disgusting habit but I was hurting bad. I went to security and the agent asked me what happened. “Delayed” I told her. She actually laughed and told me “Girl start calling for hotels NOW”.

Smoke first – hotels second. So I went outside to the starting line of my epic sprint.

There were a few folks out their polluting their lungs like me. A band of us, commiserating in our misfortune.

I struck up a conversation with two delightful women.

One around my age, maybe a little older, desperately trying to get to Montreal as her son in law just had a heart attack. Her passport expired and she just spent the last 48 hours with Homeland Security getting in renewed so she could be with her daughter.

The other woman, same age as my daughter. Military, fresh off deployment and having spent two months in France working on her doctorate in Conflict resolution and Social Work trying to get home to her 3 year old son.

We chatted and smoked and the nice woman from Houston went back in to join her husband in hopes of making it to Montreal. I sure hope she did.

Military Girl and I chatted a little longer and I said “Girl, come one, I’ll buy you a beer”. So we went back in, found a bar and ordered a beer and then I start listening to her story.

Military Girl is 26 years old. Divorced with a 3 year old son. His name is Ezra. Great name. She has been in the Military since she was 18. They are paying for her education. She is working towards her doctorate. I looked at this young woman – same age as my daughter and thought – what a well rounded human. She has had knocks and ups and downs. She called her father to let him know she was delayed and told him she was in the airport bar having a beer with “some woman” (that would be me).

As a parent – had my daughter told me that – I would have been concerned and I could tell by the look on her face that her father was. She said “Dad – it’s ok – She’s Canadian”.

We chatted some more and our phones chimed the death knoll of flights cancelled.

We finished our beer and went to our gates to double check and sure enough – they were cancelled. So I got a hotel list and wandered off to start making calls for a hotel. Striking out at every turn – she joined me and started calling hotels to help out and she got a hit – handed me her phone and I reserved a room with two beds. She looked at me like I was crazy. “Friend – my name is Leigh and you are??” her name is Cassie. “Cassie – I am NOT letting you sleep on the airport floor – lets hit the hotel. I am not an axe murderer or a whacko. I am a mother and I would hope that someone would do this for my daughter”.

Off we went to the hotel – 40 minutes away by cab. “I can’t pay you” she told me. I told her “That’s ok, do something nice for someone tomorrow”.

We got the hotel, checked in and rebooked our flights. Mine at 9:30am hers at 4:00pm the next day and racked out.

We hopped back in a cab and headed back to the airport at the crack of dawn.

We chatted a little more – I gave her my business card and told her to email me if she wanted and if not to have a great life, to hug her son alot and to continue with her studies and to make the most of life. She has seen some serious crap in her life and she told me that I restored her faith in humanity, just a little bit.

We hugged and I walked away smiling.

Checked in, went to gate. Did not have to run this time. Played “how old is the rock star” with the Gate Keeper to pass time. Boarded a plane and came home.

To sum this up.

Nice lady from Houston – I sure hope your son in law is ok and you got to Montreal on time.

Cassie – have a productive and wonderful life – get that doctorate and if you can – try and restore someone else’s faith in humanity just a little.

Like I said…everyone has a story and I was glad I got to have heard others and maybe I’ll be part of one in their lives.