I'm tired since Jamie and I had two different flights and had to get up at 6am today. (FYI, 6am is unheard of for youth pastors except in the case of allnighters.) The good news being that we caught the final 15 minutes of the United win against Spurs. But I digress.
There's so much to process after the week. I'll probably get some of it down here in the next week or so. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, here's a light little story to hold you over.
Jamie and I got off our Alaska Airlines flight this afternoon and awaited our luggage. He got his and mine was no where to be seen. The woman unloading the cart says that they have two more bags up front.
This is what she throws me.A grease covered Nike bag.
They have no idea what, or how, it happened.
She adds that I can go wait at the front desk and fill out a "we destroyed your bag" (my words, not hers) form.
I decide to go for it. What else am I supposed to do? Throw this is the trunk of the car and get grease everywhere?
So, I patiently waited my turn behind a couple of irritated individuals who had not even received their luggage. The site of my situation brought some laughter.
A couple of security guards came over to take photos. One asks me if I've smelled it to ensure it is actually grease. I laugh it off and tell her that she can. She declines.
My time finally comes and a couple of people start filling out the necessary paper/computer work. There's talk about trying to get me a new bag. Then a supervisor radios in that they should look at getting it cleaned. The guy working with me laughed and said that was going to be impossible.
They ask me if I'd like a replacement bag.
The first one that they bring out is about half the size of my grease-covered bag. The same guy from earlier chuckles and points out my stuff won't fit. So they head back and return with a brand new suitcase.The only catch is that I have to leave my grease-bag with them.
This is no simple decision. I've had that bag a long time. It's made a number of trips. It has history. We have memories.
Ok, so I didn't think about it too much.
I thanked them for the luggage upgrade, transferred my stuff over and was on my way. Now I have a new suitcase.
1 comment:
Sorry to hear that you lost your traveling buddy-bag. I know exactly how you fell. While we still have not gotten new chairs, my heart hurt when I awoke one morning on our holidays to find our camping chairs that we bought for our first Missions trip to Mexico melted in the fire. Those chairs went so far and shared so many conversations. In fact I do believe you have a picture of one. The red and white with the maple leaf on the back. :( see, I am still in mourning.
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