PATIENCE

Do you feel the older you get, the more you learn to take things in stride? Or do you feel, the older you get, the grumpier and MORE impatient you are? I straddle between both but am trying to learn to always go with the flow and not worry about things out of your control.

Take for instance my recent trip to Sao Paulo. I arrived to the hotel on the over night flight at 9am in the morning.........Of course there was no room available after I thought I had reserved one for early check-in, guess not. The woman explained I could take a shower in the gym and check my bags, blah blah blah but panic began to settle in as I realized my presentation was at 2pm and my suit was all wrinkled and I looked like crap and I still had to rehearse. Don't worry she said, as she called to make sure there was an iron in the gym. I sat and stewed for 10 minutes, then went back to see if she could write down my mobile and call when a room became available---magically one appeared then. The woman looked relieved as I wouldn't jump down her throat now or burst out crying in the lobby and off I went, thank you, thank you Mam.

A few days later, I tried not to crawl out of my skin while sitting in the traffic, going to the airport to return home. Sao Paulo traffic is notorious and I knew to expect it, but my driver must have been 80 years old and continued to go 45 mph even after the traffic cleared.........yikes. We get there and all is well with no line in immigration. However, they confiscate my souvenir, hearts of palm because they are over 4 ounces..........I should have known better, or should have eaten them right then and there (they are grown fresh in Brazil, but then the tree dies after they pick them, how sad).

I begin to wonder why everything is going so smooth but come 15 minutes after boarding time I realize something is wrong. After half an hour they announce there is a mechanical problem with the plane and they'll let us know in half an hour if we will take off, but passengers are already grumbling that the plane is not full........Flight cancelled, this has never happened to me before. Next flight is 12 noon next day, get in line to go to a hotel. Shit. Another passenger and I ask if we can get on the American flight, and since we are Elite members he tries to be nice to us. The concierge will help you, yeah, yeah, yeah but just as we get in line an angel chases us "We are re-directing b class passengers to Japan Airlines to JFK, go to Gate 2 now". I want to kiss her and somehow feel like I'm having an out of body experience, I'm so happy, I can't believe this. I float past the gates amongst millions of other determined passengers, all with somewhere to go. The man (Ed) tells me he must be at Brown U the next day as his son has an admittance interview for scholarship + work-out with the wrestling team. I hope he makes it and offer him a ride from JFK to EWR.

We sit in the Delta Lounge for half an hour cuz the Japan Airlines lounge is too crowded. I see 2 other company executives and can't believe fate has thrown us in the lounge at the same time on the same day. I thank God for the opportunity to charge my phone which is dead.

I've never seen this cool technology--but we get to watch ourselves take off through a camera in the cock-pit. I watch as we taxi down the run-way, stop as other jumbo jets pass, and can't believe they didn't think of this before, what a great idea. Just as I hear "ding" and think they will say "flight attendants please be seated for take-off", they say, "Ladies + Gentleman, there is a dis-satisfied passenger on board. We must return to the gate so he can de-plane. It will take 15 minutes to retrieve his luggage + 15 minutes to re-fuel". For crying out loud, just open the door and push him out, I don't have time for this, I want to go home. Who ever heard of such a thing, a dis-satisfied passenger, I'm dis-satisfied with a lot of things in life, but do I inconvenience hundred of others? NO! SHEEESH! Patience, deep breadth, don't elevate your blood pressure. You are trapped on this plane and there's nothing you can do about it. Be happy you are ON a plane and going home.

I arrive home with no problem and kiss my husband and can't wait to see my son, but this ringing in my ear won't stop and I'm convinced I have swine flu as all the old Japanese businessmen were hacking it up and spitting in barf bags the whole flight. I'm sick the whole weekend but glad to go back to work and get in to a routine again. Only its quite cold on the platform and NJ Transit is 15 minutes delayed...........suddenly we go straight to Hoboken with no announcement (vs Penn Station), and I need to muzzle my way to the PATH and remember what its like to take an MTA bus crosstown (do they even take cash anymore on buses?). Patience, don't give yourself a heart attack, you'll get there sooner or later.

I get to work an hour an a half late and am pissed like crazy. Just then, a co-worker emails he won't be in as his dad is in the hospital and I feel so ashamed for complaining about a late train. I shut right up and take a deep breath and remember my troubles are nothing compared to others..... Patience. Hopefully it will keep me young.