Years ago when I was working and encountered any
sort of problem or difficulty I would tell my team that I would just bring in
my magic wand and that everything would be fine. I actually had one that
I purchased from a local Renaissance Festival - it was
beautiful twisted metal wand with a gorgeous crystal attached, but that is
not what held the magic. It was the attitude that I had about the
situation.
Somehow, I always knew that something good would happen and it would always
work out for the best. Call it serendipity, happenstance or just plain
luck, whatever it was I understood that the more positive expectation I had,
the faster it would come. This was a belief I held in all areas of my
life. It seemed as though, as soon as I joked about it and let go of any
attachment then - poof, it would appear!
Easy Does It
Recently as I was traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Fort Myers, Florida I
had scheduled a shuttle from the airport to take me on the short 2 hour
trip. It seemed like a great option, I love land journeys, they are very
relaxing and you get to see areas that you miss by flying.
As always, I arrived extra early because I don't like to rush if I don't have
to. That is another bonus of being retired, I can take my time and set my
own schedule. So, while patiently waiting at the airport, I felt very
fortunate to not be getting on a plane, I had fun just wandering around and
visiting with some of the nice people there.
As the pick-up time approached, I went to the designated
area and waited there. When the shuttle did not arrive on time I rang the
office to check on the schedule and they said they were running a few minutes
late. No worries, I was fine standing in the fresh air just watching the
people go by.
When Things Go Wrong on the Road
While I was waiting I met a lovely young couple from
Australia who were traveling to visit family in the area. I love meeting
new people wherever I go so it was very nice to chat to them while we waited
for the shuttle. I am a very patient traveler and know that delays happen
so I was not concerned until over an hour passed and still no sign of the
shuttle. The office was no longer answering our calls and my phone had
completely died.
After almost 2 hours we began to get a little anxious that they may not be
coming at all and we needed to think about what we were going to do. We
all needed to be on the other side of the state that evening or we would have
to make plans to stay where we were for the night and try again tomorrow.
I don't like feeling trapped, I'm sure no one does, but my
response is to get creative and see what other choices are available.
The Golden Rule of Traveling is to Stay
Flexible and be Open to other Possibilities
When problems arise you have to decide how you want to
handle it and it never helps to get upset or to be rude. Calmly assess
the situation and then decide how you want to proceed.
Fortunately, we were at the airport so we had many options for alternate
travel. We could rent-a-car and drive over, we could hire a taxi to take
us or we could fly. All reasonable avenues, and more if we wanted to
check into coaches or the train. Literally the moment we began to decide
what option we would prefer, the shuttle pulled up to collect us.
The driver was brusque and clearly had been having a very bad day, much worse
than ours. The bus was loaded with passengers who seemed very tired and
frustrated as well but now we were on our way. At a short fuel break, I
talked briefly to the driver and asked cautiously how he was doing.
It had been a very long day for him, he was actually the
owner of the company and had a driver that didn't come in so he had been
driving since 4 am and was trying to get all of his customers to their
designated locations throughout the state. He was so warm and
friendly and immediately the atmosphere changed for the entire journey.
Sometimes the Best Things come
from the Strangest Circumstances
After arriving safely, having a great dinner and good
night’s sleep I thought about what a great day that it had been. I met
some wonderful people and got to see some lovely parts of the state and everything
worked out perfectly.
Perfect does not mean that everything
goes to plan. It means that it works out for the best, usually in a way
that will surprise and delight you!
I no longer have that magic wand but its power is always with me as long as I
remember to expect the very best outcome possible and know that it will
happen.
What
experiences have you had while traveling? Do you expect something good or
something bad when things go awry? Join the conversation and share your
stories.
