Travel does not always go as planned, but we on the GSB Team are experienced travelers. Little did we know, though, when we left home all that lay ahead on this day.
When weather in New Jersey was threatening our connecting flight to Dublin, Ann and The Wife sprung into action, making the calls and weighing the options.
We were rerouted through Philadelphia, where we circled while thunderstorms over the airport dissipated. We were wheels down at 6:15 p.m. but had to wait on the tarmac for 2 1/2 hours 100 yards from the gate until the lightning stopped.
All flights were now delayed, and by the time we got in the terminal and waited another two hours we were notified our Aer Lingus flight to Dublin had been canceled. We then stood in line for another thirty minutes to be told to wait until we received an email about our rebooking to Dublin and hotel accommodations. It was now almost 11 p.m.
A little later, Aer Lingus announced they would not be booking anyone in a hotel and that we were on our own to find accommodations. Then we received the email with our new booking. They had booked us on the flight to Dublin two days later.
I went back to gate desk and was told that was the next available flight. That would have been good to know 2 hours prior. It was now 12:30 a.m.
Our bags were not on the carousel where we told they would be. They were not even in the airport. The United app said our bags had been checked at the airport there, so we walked to Terminal D to check with United. The United CSR there sent us across the street where she said our bags would be, and the United CSR there sent us back. The first United CSR then scanned our tickets (which she should have done the first time) and told us our bags were in New Jersey.
After waiting thirty minutes for the Holiday Inn Express shuttle, we finally got to the hotel, where we stood in line for another thirty minutes to learn their computers were down. We were then assigned to rooms that had been slept in but not cleaned. I’m not kidding.
When we returned to the front desk the desk clerk called over his colleague who asked me if I was sure the rooms were not made up. She asked me four times.
I thought about responding, “I know the first three times you asked me I said ‘Yes,” but I lied and since you have asked me a fourth time, I am going to tell you the truth now.” Instead, I just said, “Yes.”
The desk clerk then disappeared, returning 10 minutes later to tell us the rooms were ready now. So, they had found maid service at 2 a.m.? Ann had a pained look on her face, so I suggested she sleep on top of the bed cover. The Wife, not missing a beat, said to the clerk, “You don’t really think we believe you, do you?”
He didn’t seem offended, never looking up from papers he continued to fumble as though more fumbling would fix the computer problem. He then said he didn’t have any rooms.
A few minutes later, as we were looking on our phones for another hotel, we watched with interest as the couple behind us walked up to the desk, and within just a minutes were given a room.
I pointed this out to the group, and The Wife went back to the front desk and asked why the people behind us could get a room and we couldn’t, even though we had reservations. He then ruffled through his papers again, and his partner walked over and gave us keys to rooms. It was now 2:45 a.m.
Of course these are all first world problems, and in the grand scheme of things they mattered little. We lost a day in Ireland, respect for Aer Lingus, United Airlines, and Holiday Inn Express, and a good nights’ rest.
Although Solomon never had to deal with a weather delay at an airport, he understood something about dealing with adversity. He said:
In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider— God has made the one as well as the other . . . .
Ecclesiastes 7:14
I like the contrast between how one is to deal with good days and the bad days. On the good days, when things are going well, the sun is on your face, and all is right the world, embrace it emotionally. Be happy. But when things are not going well, do not respond emotionally but rationally. Consider.
Bad days are inevitable. There are times when things do not got well. When that happens, recognize, accept, consider that the bad days are part of life as well.
The Stoics were good at this. They were taught to accept the bad things life threw at them dispassionately, recognizing those things are part of life and happen to everyone in one form or another.
In all honesty, though, by the end of this day, so much had cut against us, we were laughing about it as we stumbled up to our rooms at 3:00 a.m. GS
What a foul- up and such a good perspective to take.
Thankfully, it is behind us.