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Happy Monday
So, very long (and frustrating) story short, airport cancellations aren’t fun.
Now that you, like me, have audibly said, “duh,” let me explain just a little bit of what I mean.
After a fun weekend in the heart of D.C. and the suburb of Potomac, MD, the plan was to fly out with family late today. Then the flight got delayed 10 minutes…20 minutes…2 hours…2 1/2 hours…3 hours…
and then, the airline finally declared the obvious:
The flight was officially cancelled, along with many, many others.
The issue wasn’t restricted to D.C. airports, however, as construction fumes in an aviation building in Virginia caused flight cancellations across the country. After hours of running through Plans A-Z, that one hotel room was finally discovered late into the night. And this experience (and others like it) provide us with few good options. However, in these cases, realizing the frustrating odds against us can be the first step towards realizing the best approach to the situation.
Tom Hanks for the win in The Terminal.
Have a Better Week Than Last Week.
We’re All McCallisters at the Airport
It doesn’t seem to matter how early we (meaning people in general) arrive at the airport, we always cut it close enough to the point where we just might not make our flight.
Vacations/business trips aren’t just reserved for summer or the holidays anymore. The reason for mentioning this now is that the time right before and between Thanksgiving and Christmas (and New Years) is one of the prime periods of the year when airports are full with travelers making their way to their destinations. It’s a happy sight.
And, yes, there’s also the occasional chaotic scene that rushes through the terminal faster than a speeding train. If you find yourself at an airport in the near future and you need to hustle to catch your flight, just remember to run to Chuck Berry’s, “Run Run Rudolph.”
It helps.
We’ve all been there.
Fantastic Mouthwash and Where to Find It
Is packing a suitcase for the airport a grand metaphor for life’s journey?
Perhaps.
However, what we all know for certain about packing for a flight is that it takes time, planning and readjustment after readjustment. Why isn’t my suitcase large enough? How can I fit these shoes in? Why do I pack that shirt because I never end up wearing it? The most stressful part of this activity, though, is abiding by the strict guidelines as determined by the TSA. In case you’ve forgotten, their attention to detail is measured not in pounds, but in ounces.
Maybe these restrictions on liquids and soaps is why there are so many CVS and Duane Reade stores in cities with the busiest airports? Guaranteed foot traffic after countless flights for tourists and visitors.
As demonstrated in the video below, packing a suitcase for the airport can be a fantastic, beast of a challenge.
Remember: Free mouthwash at the hotel!
J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is playing in a theater near you.
Pushing Towards that Whopper of a Dream
Viktor Navorski’s preference for Burger King aside, his passion for working hard for what he wants makes for a perfect Throwback Thursday.
The Terminal was a 2004 Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks collaboration that cleverly told the story of a man from a war-torn nation stranded in New York’s JFK terminal desperate to visit the United States. Bustling during the day and eerily lonely at night, the JFK terminal proved an opportunity and a prison for Viktor. He cannot leave the terminal and enter the United States because of his status as the man without a country. In what’s revealed as his charming character trait, Viktor befriends the blue-collar workers of the airport and evolves from a peculiar foreign nuisance into an inspirational tour de force.
No matter what your goals and dreams are for today and tomorrow, we should all embrace the spirited resolve of Viktor Navorski.
Only Steven Spielberg could’ve framed and transformed a mundane activity into an endearing exercise of the human spirit.
Happy Throwback Thursday!
Jimmy's Daily Planet 