I've never been very good at sitting
still. Hence my ability to passively
participate in any form of purgatory
is rather limited. When one travels,
almost any pleasure that awaits is
subjugated by the process of getting
from here... to there. For reasons only
God knows, it seems that the laziest
of individuals are often given the task
of herding the rest of us. No wonder
that by the time we're finally off and
running, I'm ready to run away. One
has to ask, "isn't there a better way?"
Why is anybody surprised that when
the government is involved it's even
worse. What can I say about airport
security except that the experience if
nothing else makes me feel insecure?!
I find it shocking that the glazed over
zombies who nonsensically rant about
large electronic devices are actually
responsible for my safety. Given it's
more than apparent that they could
care less about anything except their
impending coffee break... it's a miracle
we all don't get blown up. God help us!
Maybe the terrorists are actually not
the people we should be worried about.
Instead I'm starting to think that they
are those employed by our government,
airports, and airlines. What's more than
obvious is that none of them are happy.
What I worry most about is the latent
hostility that must be bubbling beneath
their polyester uniforms. After all, if
you had to constantly remind people
to take off shoes and empty pockets,
wouldn't you go off the edge? All just
because you want to get out of Dodge!
What galls me is their inability to act
like human beings. I'm sure they're
nice people at home with families to
feed and lawns to mow. Much like
my Dad I'm a fairly nice guy. As I
move through life I try to make it
easier for everyone. After standing
on a "premiere" line for eons, my
natural inclination is to interact. Yet
why is it that they never smile, never
wink, or never truly acknowledge any
kindness extended their way?! What
is behind the mask - a robot or idiot?
It used to be that once you got on
a plane everything changed. Sadly
that no longer seems to happen.
Attendants rarely attend. Instead
they go through the motions as if
they really cared. Even in First
Class few do anything more than
the absolute minimum. I'm not sure
why they seem beleaguered. Is this
their third leg or are they worried
about contract negotiations? What's
obvious is that they're over their jobs
and unfortunately... also over US.
And so we wait. Mediocrity makes nobody
happy. Given most spend the majority of
their waking hours working, isn't it time to
wake up? One thing is certain - few in our
modern world seem willing to compromise.
Hence the only way the tortured can survive
the pain is to share it. If they have to wait a
few more years till retirement... you're going
to have to bide your time until they're ready
to serve you. And if you don't like it, don't
push them too far. They might make you step
to the back of the line. You see, misery loves
company or whoever is in their range of fire!
