What a Day that Was. . .

Do you ever have those days that you just can't wait to get through? I had one yesterday. It started at 6 a.m. and fell apart by 7 a.m.

For the rest of the day, I tried to regain my composure and get back to a little piece of peace in my life.

Here's what happened?

I had been on vacation in my favorite spot in the world — Venice, FL — for 10 days. If you like doing nothing, you'll like it there. After a few days of winding down and doing whatever I could to regain the peace that the beach brings in on each wave, I left my sweet Charlsa and drove to Orlando for a 4-day seminar — The Internet Success System (ISS).

It was intense and highly engaging. By the time, I was ready to leave Monday morning, I was over stimulated with information overload. My brain was throbbing and ideas were popping.

Exhausted, I crawled out of bed at 5:15 a.m., caught the airport shuttle and stood in the long line at the airline curb side check-in counter for an eternity.

But not to worry, I was about 3 hours early. I was even feeling benevolent.

A man a little older than me was almost to check-in when he noticed a tow truck pulled up to his car ready to tow it away. He dashed to the policeman and managed to drive the SUV away to find legal parking.

But he left his bag by the counter. A scout leader who was also checking in said he would wait a few minutes for the guy to come back. The skycap said okay, but otherwise, he was required to turn the bag in if it were left unattended.

As I walked to the check in, I told the scout leader that I had some time and I'd be glad to stay with the bag, too.

The skycap put my confirmation number into the computer and the trouble started. My reservation was canceled!

He dragged me inside the terminal to the main service desk where an attendant confirmed my reservation was canceled. And he informed me that it was canceled because I didn't initiate the contract by flying down on the first leg of my round-trip ticket.

See, I was already in Florida on vacation, so I didn't check back in with the airline. I assumed that I would eat the first leg of the round trip and use the second since, after all, I'd paid for a ticket. But noooo. . .

"Your contract for a round-trip ticket says . . ." he proceeded to tell me all the rules I'd broken. "So what do I have to do," I asked.

Book another one-way fare to Huntsville, AL. I didn't like the sound of that. Especially since he said it would be an ADDITIONAL $450 on a one-stop flight leaving in 45 minutes.

I was mad at the world, immediately. All my serenity and excitement was gone and I felt cheated and betrayed and taken advantage of.

But mostly, I was mad at myself. I should have checked in with the airline nearly a month earlier when I knew my plans had changed.

I called my wife, told her the deal and said that my plans for the day had just been turned upside down.

By the time I got home at 3 p.m., I was feeling better, but still angry. I walked in and found a note that said:

I love you. I'm so sorry you've had a rotten day. Let me suggest this:

• Turn on the coffee pot. . .it's ready.
• Pour a cup of coffee. . .the cup's there.
• Take your spiritual books to the deck, sit quietly and read a bit.
• And be sure to welcome the four beautiful Canadian Geese that have joined our ducks in the stream below. They've chosen to live with us now. What a delight.

I follow instructions well. So I did as I was told and sat on the deck reading my favorite spiritual books. And as always, one passage spoke directly to me without subtlety:

It is toward this greater center within us that we must travel if we wish to become emancipated from the unconscious reactions of our being. This radiant center is making everything new in my life and new in the lives of those around me.

Ah, welcome home.

Comments

[Matthew]

Nice ending! Yeah, I've had those kinds of days too (though probably not as expensive). It's wonderful when a book just speaks to your soul, isn't it?