"Take your belt off sir. "
The security guy in Newcastle airport departure gate was in no mood for messing about. He was stern, deadpan and seriously jobworthy.
I removed my belt.
In front of a massive queue of travellers?
My trousers fell clean down!
I was supersonically embarrassed!
That was at 6am last Monday morning before I flew to a meeting in Bristol.
And the week went downhill from there.
It's been a week of travel.
Bristol on Monday, Newcastle Thursday, Liverpool Saturday and I'm writing this in London today.
Planes, trains and automobiles has been the thing this week.
Airports I dislike with unprecedented passion. The lining up, the waiting, the delays. Trains are mad, getting a seat is difficult even if you've booked it, getting your bags stashed and getting to your seat is a pain. Then there is driving, traffic jams, people pushing you in the fastlane.
I have been doing a bit of reading while travelling, reading a trashy but fab crime thriller by Lee Child called "the hard way." The main character, Jack Reacher is a cool, calm guy. He has a saying that he keeps repeating to himself. He says, "don't fret about what you can't control. "
That's really helped me in this week of rush and frustration.
Don't fret about what you can't control.
I've learned this week that even though there has been a whirlwind of frenetic frustration. I can't control what is happening around me.
I really felt that even in this short blog post, this statement was for sharing today.
So if you are fretting about something today?
Don't.
Who's in control anyway?
You or God?
Lay that fretting down right now.
You can't control what's happening around you.
So why bother?
