On our way home from our mission trip to Senegal last year we got to Atlanta and the line for customs was long but moved pretty steady. The line for security, however, did not. I still haven't figured out how people can manage traveling to another country, but can't seem to understand how to take the change out of your pocket BEFORE you go through the metal detector. That's what I get for judging.
By the time the first half of our group got through security we had maybe 10 minutes to get from E concourse to A concourse. The team leader had enough confidence in me for some reason to send me ahead of the group to let the gate agents know we had 6 more people coming. No problem. I am a fully functioning and capable adult. I will handle it. I might be wearing flip flops and have no sense of direction, but I can do this.
I hurried over to the departure screens and found the flight to Charlotte on Delta at gate B9 and off I went. I got on the tram and managed to get off at B, but for some reason even unknown to me, I started down the corridor and not up the escalator. For this I now feel really stupid. At the time it seemed like it made sense. I even ran only to find that I had run all the way to A concourse. I even considered looking at the board to double check the gate, but talked myself out of it. I always second guess myself and even said, "It's B9, that's what the board said. Be confident for once." So I turned around and ran back to and all the way up the escalator to the B concourse. I proceeded to run all the way to the gate which was unoccupied because yes, it was for the 12:45 flight to Charlotte, not the 10:15. I considered laying in the floor in the fetal position. I was so exhausted and just knew that if we missed our flight it would be my fault.
I looked at the board and discovered that our flight was at gate A20 which is where I was accidentally headed in the first place, but for once didn't double check my information. Back I went, running loudly in my flops past the same people I just ran by to get to where I shouldn't have been. Down I go and over to the A concourse, still running, still out of shape, sweating like a boy and in the back of my mind wanting to get there before the rest of the team so they wouldn't know what I had done. Not possible. They had actually seen me running by the wrong way while they were on the tram headed to the right gate. When I finally got there and saw them at the gate where I broke down and started bawling like any rational adult would do. I was inconsolable and at the time this was devastating. Funny now, not then. I think all the passengers were a little afraid of what might happen next. They were probably all hoping I had some sort of tranquilizer for the flight, box of Kleenex and a barf bag just in case.
We made it home safely and I came up with a few good applications, so it wasn't a total waste of effort.
- A sincere belief in something doesn't make it truth. I ran with all my heart in one direction, but it wasn't going to get me home.
- It wouldn't hurt to stop and verify your destination.
- Before you think everyone else is foolish, stop and look at yourself.
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