A Road Warrior’s Adventure – Part One
As the wheels of my 6:00 AM flight leave the ground it seems as though more than just the increased G’s of takeoff press me back into the seat. An unsettling feeling seems to surround the airliner’s cabin.
As we rise I see off in the distance an amber glow on the horizon. What is it that the old sailors say, “Red sky at morning, sailors take warning?”
Off to the south, after devastating areas of the Yucatan, Tropical Strom Ida is barreling towards the area of my destination. I have already planned for extra time for airport delays and traffic after landing. In the modern equivalent, I have learned well the old traveling salesman’s lesson that teaches when driving to an appointment you should figure out how long it takes to change a flat tire and build that time into your itinerary.
As the distance shrinks between take off and landing I wonder what additional challenges Ida will throw my way. With the possibility growing that I may not make the meeting start time, I think about how my communications tools will become critical if today’s investment in time and travel are to pay off.
This itinerary is not new to me. I have made this trip many times before. On a normal day I would need to clear the airport by 9:00 to get downtown, find the address, find parking, and make my way to the appointment at 11:00. As this day is shaping up, I am headed for a bumpy landing and unknowable obstacles.
When I exit the terminal I will be confronted by high winds and sideways rains. I envision inverted umbrellas rolling down the street as the wind howls in the concrete chasms of the modern city. I think about my future that will include navigating massive puddles and snarled traffic as Ida’s estimated three inches of rain accumulates to overwhelm drainage systems and roadways. The probability of my long planned itinerary successfully delivering me to my meeting on time slims with each passing air mile.
After a relatively smooth ride we begin our descent. We leave behind the jet stream and plunge into the cloud deck. Almost immediately the bumps begin. The passenger next to me is startled from his sleep. The person behind me grabs the back of my chair. For me it is just one more in a long series of turbulent rides in a career filled with many challenging adventures.
As the flight attendant gingerly makes his way through the cabin collecting potential projectiles and performing landing inspection of the passenger cabin, I take this all in stride. It is time for me to conduct my ritual of strategically arranging my belongings to prepare for a swift deplane.
We are passing through the thick layers of the unstable air. It feels as if we are on a rollercoaster as the massive engines of the 767 plow through 20,000 feet of tropical disturbance. I get intermittent feelings of the exhilaration of near weightlessness punctuated by stomach turning drops. I think back to summer vacation as my sons and I tore through a series of theme parks like adventurers of some ancient time conquering indigenous expanses.
Suddenly as it so often does, the tumult disappears.
As we approach the runway I can see the rain pelting the pavement. The airplane accelerates as the pilot compensates for gusting winds. As the wheel touch ground and we begin to taxi, I grab my Smartphone and await the signal that it is okay to download my email.
What has changed since I left the ground? What new surprises does the day hold? How will my years of business travel experience propel my productivity fair against today’s challenges? How will my advanced communications tools serve me as the minutes before my appointment evaporate and a room full of people assembles to hear my keynote?
I’ll soon find out.
[To be continued …]
Related discussions:
Journey to the Center of the Telephone Self-service Earth 29 September 2009
Self-service Mythic Adventure 18 August 2009
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