At the Holiday Inn in Philadelphia
Left the Stage Neck Inn at 1:00 p.m. yesterday
Driver of the car to take me to airport is a moonlighting very petite teacher
Alas, no help with heavy luggage
Arrived at Portland Maine airport
Stood in line 45 minutes waiting for delayed plane
Missed connection to Philly
Stood in line for over an hour to get later flight at 7:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m. flight rescheduled for departure at 10:30 p.m.
Flight finally cancelled
Stood in line for an hour and a half to get voucher for room at Holiday Inn
Told to pick up luggage at Carousel C
Waited an hour and a half at Carousel C
Informed that luggage went to BWI
Called the Holiday Inn for shuttle
Went outside to wait
My purse was missing
Made mad run for all the places I had been
Purse not anywhere
Went to service area
They kept my purse thinking it belonged to personnel
What a relief!
I believe that all of these delays and this scare about my purse were warnings to slow down, be more deliberate, take care of what’s absolutely necessary, and stop feeling compelled to make every scene, to respond to every bell. I’m going to miss the trip to Region III in Orlando because my connecting flight in Baltimore is boarding now, and I’m still in room 554 at the Holiday Inn in Philly.
Beginning now, I’m just going to relax into this situation and take care of some work that I would not otherwise have had time to do. I’m happy to have a moment to take stock, to look at what I’m doing to determine my way forward.
Gwen Dungy 