Zero Tolerance

When you miss a flight that has connections and are put on stand by be ready to be on stand by if you are switching planes as well.  Airtran usually has only two flights a day I heard from someone so the third flight although all seats were filled up for the day brought my hopes up that I wouldn't be waiting in the terminal all day and then tomorrow on stand by.

My mom gave me her credit card, and dad gave me $50.00 cash.  I bought lunch and souvenirs with the cash and just held the credit card for emergencies.  I sat in Atlanta Georgia for 6 hours and read my Bible studying the NT between lunch when my sister called to inform me that she and Allen her boyfriend bought me a 100-150 dollar ticket on Southwest Airlines to Chicago. 

The flight picked us up at 7:00pm and I didn't have to wait until 9:20p another 5 hours when the 5:00pm connection flight was full.  I ate a taco, with chips and dialed phone numbers from different spiritual programs that I am involved in.  There is a feeling of restlessness and cold moods since it is a place of just coming and going on the clock.  I found some warmth and comfort in the Olympics game on the large flat screens in the bars with cute names.

I didn't sit in the bar but near the windows along the terminal seats and waited in prayer. My fear subsides greatly in watching little kids with their mothers, and fathers as it reminded me of my family together and being with a group.  The cold bouts of being by myself fizzled when I began planning what I could do with the credit card in my pocket if the weather delayed flights, or I needed to get a hotel room.  Thank God for the credit card and mom who permitted me to have it.

Maybe I was in tears from being up from 3a to 7p on  the plane home from Atlanta Georgias connection to Chicago Midway Airport.  Maybe it was overwhelming thankfulness that I was going home.  There is a big difference when you don't travel with groups and when you do.  Not even the best plans and resources kept me strong after missing my flight at 6am.  I talked to Dave and we read Psalms 103.  We walked an Epilepsy Race in Chicago this summer and played Monopoly a few times.  He called a few times during the week while I stayed on the island and was very funny and nice.  He lifted my spirits during all the coming and going with dinners and activities with my family.  Everyone during the trip the whole time was partnered up and I wasn't and it does take a toll on your buddy up system.

I learned so much the whole time like no bonfires on the beach.  Removing linens off beds before leaving, and how much people care when you feel in the dumps.  When I got into Chicago I felt depressed about being back and wanted to go back.  I was looking at all the flights out to other locations and thinking of the credit card in my pocket and what it would be like to start over letting the imagination run a little amok.  First flight that popped up on the monitor was Las Vegas. 

After the frenzy of dreams passed I quickly went to get a snack and then sat at the bus station exhausted and tired from the long day of the miss your flight domino effect.  The comfort of charging my phone, drinking lots of water, napping, and reading kept me tamed.  Yet at the end of the day I was anxious to get home.  The lady in Crestwood IL would not take my credit card since it needed to be signed by the owner which was my mother and so I waited 5 more hours at the bus terminal for the 11:50p bus to pick me up.  Between those hours I read the NT and prayed a little more. 

The gas station across the street had an ATM but mom spent an hour on the phone gettting a password for the credit card and then texted it to me.  I was getting more drained and thought I was going to pass out but I trully believe the Holy Spirit was moving me because I wasn't afraid but vigilant and I bought a few kids a pack of cigarettes and they helped me carry a 24 case of bottled water over to the bus station.  Mom called and talked to the cashier there and ordered the next bus to come and I waited not relying on my ex-boyfriend to pick me up.

Both the bus and the ex showed up at the same time and I took the ride with my ex and got my $30.00 refund for the bus going to Indiana.  I heard while I was leaving, "Senorita! Senorita! Your water bottles!"  After seeing this nice friend shouting at me that way, it felt like an old western movie ending and I answered that way and said, "OH, just throw them away!"  Thats the kind of answer I imagine after a long day of enduring hardship after hardship May West would say.

Its funny though in the car its after you spend time apart that your ex looks nice and acts nice and I thought nice car and then I remembered something,  that it had been a long day and I was happy to be going where I needed to go at the moment.

The End