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Flights Suck, Airlines Suck Harder, But Hey: We're Going on Vacation!

I like to write posts on kindness when I have recently battled rage. Especially when I have experienced that unique rage that gets directed at incompetence. You know the type. Themes include:
"Why can't I get anyone in customer service to explain what's happening, after being on hold for 20 minutes? Don't they know how to do their jobs? They're getting paid to talk to me, not the other way around!"

Yes, undergoing a rage attack really brings into perspective: the gap between current state and desired future state in cultivating kindness.

You see, as I was writing this post initially, yours truly was sitting on the runway at Newark, waiting for my flight to get underway. It was a flight from Newark to Houston. Except that I began the day at Boston Logan, and aimed to end up in Memphis. The interim stop in Houston was unplanned. Ah, United Airlines! They had a few tricks up their sleeves for me.

I found myself getting very caught up in the minutiae of various travel woes. The flight delays. The lack of communication, followed by sieges of inaccurate information, from the airline. The feeling of being held hostage - in the airport, in line, on the plane, and not to mention, in Houston (!). Waiting, waiting, waiting. For a response from a service agent, for an update on when we were going to leave, for any knowledge on when - or whether - I was ever going to get to my destination, Memphis.

I did make it to Memphis. And to Graceland. Eventually. And now that the weekend has already passed, and several days have gone by, the memories of the unpleasantness have already faded. And isn't that always true?

Perhaps it will even be funny, soon. I mean, it is pretty strange to have to fly 2,500 miles in total to go 1,000 miles net. Alas.

Who knows what travel joys are in our collective futures? Fingers crossed for everyone traveling over Thanksgiving, all! And kind times ahead with family and friends.

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