All Psyched Up: Travelling challenges
By Medicine Hat News on August 10, 2018.
I just arrived home from Cosa Mesa where my grandson graduated with a degree in marketing. It was quite a crew with Alexander, his parents and his other grandmother attending. No matter how good our plans were or how wonderful the events, there were some problems that just could not be avoided. For example, Alexander threw up on the plane. We think he had just let anxiety build and it culminated in the air because he felt sick again the day that they were to leave. My daughter decided to go to a pharmacy to get some Gravol for him but there had been an airplane crash in the parking lot of the mall so they had to find another pharmacy. I read my itinerary wrong. My impression was that I was leaving Costa Mesa at noon on Aug. 8 so I purchased a ticket for a concert to celebrate my Aug. 7 birthday. Then I realized that my flight was to arrive in Medicine Hat at midnight on Aug. 8 and I would be flying during the concert. Oh well! Denver had a horrible storm and the airplanes couldn’t land because of it. They just kept circling and circling while we waited for more than two hours. One landed and an announcement stated that once it was cleaned and serviced we would leave but no firm timeframe was given. We waited and then waited another half hour or so after boarding. The pilot announced that we were the only plane leaving Denver that night because all others were being inspected for hail damage. I looked at my watch and knew that there wasn’t a good chance of me making my 11:35 p.m. connection to Medicine Hat. The attendant moved me from 35D to 10D in order to give me a chance to leave the flight quickly. But, there was still customs to clear and baggage to claim. We landed at 11:30 p.m. and I was informed that the next flight had already left. The airline refused to pay for a hotel room, but the ticket agent rebooked me for the next morning and gave me a number to call for discounted rooms due to flight connection problems. The woman who answered stated that they didn’t have any rooms left. I walked to the nearest hotel and arranged a discount for an expensive room that I was in for less than seven hours. During my six days away I was in airports and on planes for more than 24 hours. My feet swelled and I needed a massage to work the kinks out of my body. But through it all, I smiled. Because I couldn’t attend the concert, I was able to give the ticket to a wonderful server in the restaurant and she was thrilled! I met a lovely lady in Denver as well as a young pilot, both of whom provided interesting conversations. Even though I had to pay for the hotel room, I enjoyed the wonderful shower and bed. The travel break gave me time to rest and arrive home mid-morning rather than at midnight. Throughout the whole time, I received lovely birthday messages from my Facebook friends who live in different countries. I landed and had time to throw a load of washing in before meeting a friend who was taking me out for a late birthday lunch. Then I headed for my spa appointment. So often in life, we are looking for the fun and easy times. Real success and good health, however, result from accepting that there are always “turbulent times in life” and we need to get through them without allowing them to ruin our day. Life is not perfect! No matter what you do or where you go, there will be challenges. Learn to face them with a good attitude. There isn’t any point in being angry or rude because things aren’t the way that you want them to be. When things don’t happen the way that you planned them, just think that perhaps you were saved from even more trouble. I could still be stuck in Denver or a victim of the plane crash in Costa Mesa. One of my fellow travellers couldn’t get home to Regina and was very upset knowing that his wife had lasagna and homemade cookies waiting for him. He agreed, though, when I said, “If you didn’t make your connection, there is a good reason for that. We just might not know what it is.” It is not what happens to you that is as important as how to handle it. Dr. Linda Hancock (www.LindaHancock.com) is the author of “Life is an adventureÉevery step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Medicine Hat. She can be reached at 403-529-6877 or through email office@drlindahancock.com 16-15
