What is Going On?

Riots have closed the airport in Bangkok. I have a friend there that has been trying to leave Thailand since yesterday, and the protesters refuse to vacate the airport. He says that they are leaving the tourists alone - they're protesting the government.

And now, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), is under attack by terrorists. They are specifically looking for American and European passports. The two main hotels we use for business are both on fire and multiple explosions have gone off. A "police" van drove by a crowd of people and opened fire.

I really hope that nobody I know is in Mumbai on business this week.

Autumn Urges

Every year around this time it happens. I get the itch that I have to scratch.

I buy things. It's different every year. Last year I think it was a new laptop computer. Before that it was a plasma TV. Other years have seen me purchasing new furniture. This year it's everything in sight. Nothing big (yet), but I've been indulging the urge to spend by buying clothes, shoes, boots, jewelry, towels, etc. My toilet seat broke yesterday, so today I headed to Target to get a new one. The new toilet seat cost me $14.99. Everything else in the store cost me $200.00.

What Is There To Be Happy About?

Layoffs.

No bonuses this year. Raise? Not for several years.

Retirement fund down 60%.

To quote John McCain, 'the news is grim, my friends". The economy has tanked, and the world is suffering right along with us. Me? I've been working 14-hour days on stressful projects with very little recognition. Every bone in my body hurts, and it's hard to get out of bed most days.

So what's right with the world? Glad you asked!

This morning, I was gently awakened by my cat Sam when he touched my cheek at first light. Once he had my attention, he snuggled next to me, with his cheek pressed against mine, and his paw on my nose. On cue, Grace curled into a ball on my pillow, neatly pressed into the space between my neck and my head. Blue Bell, the chatty cat, stood on my chest and tried to wake me up, and when he failed, sat patiently waiting for me to rise up and feed him. Sydney, my constant, loyal, 17-year old, purred next to me. When I finally got out of bed, I did him a favor and lifted him to the floor, knowing that his bones must ache just like mine.

I got to work at 0715, well before most. It was a quiet day, but filled with conversations with coworkers - friends really. In tough times, it's amazing how we come together to face the world with a united front. It truly takes a village to survive. I spent 4 hours with a former (and potential) customer from Latin America. They were so gracious, kind, and appreciative, and I felt like I wanted to swim in their love for a month of days.

In the coming days, I fear that people I know and respect will lose their jobs. I feel immune, but of course I'm not. My head is just firmly embedded in the sand of illusion. I'm just as vulnerable as anyone. Working in the travel industry in the best of times is crazy. In the worst of times it's plain suicide. I can only hope that the bloodletting is slow and a new world arrives in time to save us.

The Promise

The promise of what America can be.

Tonight, history was made when the first black man was elected President of the United States. More importantly, a good man was elected. I believe that Obama brings us hope. I believe that Obama can unite us. I know that something really significant happened tonight. In my lifetime, we have gone from not allowing black people to drink from the same water fountain as whites, to electing a black man to be President.

When Bad Things Happen

A friend called me yesterday morning to ask me if the person mentioned in the newspaper was the same person that was my buddy since 1989.

The person from the paper had been on the highway at 5 am Friday morning, weaving in and out of traffic in his BMW, and was suspected of forcing another vehicle to leave the highway, resulting in the death of the other driver. My friend was unhurt, but taken to the hospital and given a blood test for intoxication. His arrest, according to the paper, was for manslaughter by intoxication.

The details were right, so I knew it was him. Last time I saw him was at a Christmas party last year, when he took me to his bosses house. I tried to get his keys unsuccessfully that night, and was terrified the whole drive home. Since it brought back memories of my father driving drunk with his whole family in the car, I haven't spoken to him since.

So of course I'm full of guilty feelings. What if I had gotten the keys from him at Christmas and forced him to admit he had a problem? What if I at least stayed in contact with him?

So how do you support someone who has killed someone else? There but for the grace of God go I. How many times have I driven when I knew I shouldn't?