Relax

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,461
Reaction score
17,567
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
Today I was at the airport. I have TSA Pre which is pretty great everywhere except Newark. I was in Newark. There were easily three hundred people in line and as I walked up to the line this woman complained to me that I was in her spot - that I "cut" in line like we were in the fourth grade. I stepped back and let her pass. "If you feel better getting through this 300-person line 30 seconds before me, then be my guest." She smugly stepped in front of me and no doubt felt her victory for the entire time we were in line.

How did I come about this wisdom? Another airport story. I was in line in Phoenx some 10 years ago and I was stressed that I was going to miss my flight and that was making me angry. There were hundreds of us in line and how could they let this happen and I've got places to be! All of a sudden there was a commotion and in the line next to ours, an guy not much older than me had collapsed clutching his chest. The line parted and people came, and I heard people say that they were glad it wasn't in our line.

Something in me snapped and I stopped caring. I refuse to die in a crappy airport line because I'm stressed. I've been on over 400 flights in the past 10 years, and I've had more than a few canceled. As other people are screaming I just go book a hotel, get a czr or take the shuttle and try again the next day.

I'm not sure what the point of all this is. People just need to freaking relax.
 

jcwu

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
2,958
Reaction score
37
Location
San Jose, CA
Thanks for this perspective. I'm trying to adopt this in my life in general, and... I've been a lot happier in general.
 

shihan

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Jan 18, 2013
Messages
1,538
Reaction score
795
Location
Ventura CA
Well said. There are 'important' things and IMPORTANT things. Nobody ever had a heart attack or stroke from chillin' out.
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,246
Reaction score
6,969
Location
Central Massachusetts
Amen, GAD. Queuing up is one of those things in life that gets my pressure up. I have to make a conscious effort to keep perspective on situations like that.
 

killdeer43

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2008
Messages
21,848
Reaction score
111
Location
Northwest Washington on the Salish Sea
I've been practicing the "art" of relaxing/not being in a hurry for years. Patience truly is a blessing, and I always tell people that I don't hurry unless something's chasing me!
:cheerful:

Joe
 

Opsimath

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 20, 2015
Messages
4,495
Reaction score
4,006
Location
North Florida
I've been practicing the "art" of relaxing/not being in a hurry for years. Patience truly is a blessing, and I always tell people that I don't hurry unless something's chasing me!
:cheerful:

Joe

Ditto - and whatever is chasing me has to be big or I still won't hurry.
 

matsickma

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
4,280
Reaction score
1,028
Location
Coopersburg, PA
Agree GAD. It takes a lot to rattle me these days. Actually I had this stste of mind from the early 2000's.

Another salient milestone is when $money stopped freaking me out. I'm not wealthy...both my wife and I work. But up until the kids started to go to college I would get upset with unexpected car repair bills, etc. Bills in the $500+ range.

And then they started college! Now I was dropping $20k+ every 4 months.
That changed everything. Fortunately I had half the $ saved and pay as I go for the rest. My goal is to college educated two children with a BS and have them and I debt free at the end. So far so good.
Yes... I don't have a vacation home, new cars , etc...but I do have my Guilds, a near complete man cave and a relatively healthy family.

Ultimately as spoken by the late great Jimi Marshall Hendrix..."I still have my guitar"....but still haven't figured out which one is the keeper!😎🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸😂😂😂😂😂
 

rampside

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2012
Messages
3,118
Reaction score
410
Location
Minnesota's Iron Range
Guild Total
4
Learning to relax well, is much the same as learning to play the guitar well. It ain't easy!

.....but, I like to think it's worth the effort. :peaceful:
 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
Yep. I've also traveled a lot and have seen & experienced all kinds of stuff. Cancelled flights, planes forced back to the gate due to electrical or mechanical issues, jerk-ish and/or plastered fellow travelers, people freaking out due to turbulence, screaming kids, you name it. You can let it get to you, or you can use it to hone your chillax chops. :)

-Dave-
 

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,461
Reaction score
17,567
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
I've actually thought of writing a book of my experiences. I've got stories. :)
 

killdeer43

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2008
Messages
21,848
Reaction score
111
Location
Northwest Washington on the Salish Sea
When I was flying a lot in the mid-80s we were in a holding pattern in a snowstorm/blizzard waiting to get into Denver's old Stapleton airport....for TWO hours! Nothing we (the passengers) could do but sit and wait, and order more drinks.
Can't get in a hurry if the situation's out of your control so....relax.
:wink:

Joe
 

GAD

Reverential Morlock
Über-Morlock
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
22,461
Reaction score
17,567
Location
NJ (The nice part)
Guild Total
112
When I was flying a lot in the mid-80s we were in a holding pattern in a snowstorm/blizzard waiting to get into Denver's old Stapleton airport....for TWO hours! Nothing we (the passengers) could do but sit and wait, and order more drinks.
Can't get in a hurry if the situation's out of your control so....relax.
:wink:

Joe


Coming back from The Bahamas with my wife back around probably 94. Bad storms put us into a pattern for hours so they gave us all free drinks... on a plane with no bathroom.
 

Rich Cohen

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2015
Messages
3,136
Reaction score
2,240
Location
Charlottesville, VA
We recently (in late July early August) took a 4,000 road trip, and you know, we were always glad to arrive at the motel by the end of the afternoon, the experience didn't have the stress of the airline experience. Having our two doggies with us made it that more fun! :cheerful:
 

Neal

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
4,852
Reaction score
1,618
Location
Charlottesville, VA
I finally cashed in my consulting chips a few years ago and now have a more "normal" life.

But for 7 years, I averaged over 120 flights a year, which is what you needed to achieve the coveted Chairman level at US Air (now American).

I recall the night it all started to get to me. Stranded at O'Hare. ALL hotel rooms booked for a 15-mile radius. Burned up $30 in a cab in a fruitless effort to find somewhere, anywhere, to lay down. Nada.

Returned to the airport only to find that TSA had closed down for the night, so I had to find a place to roost street side. All of the good spots were taken by bums trying to keep from freezing to death.

I ended up under an escalator, clutching my briefcase, laying on the marble floor, trying to get a few winks. Only O'Hare (perhaps to dissuade the bums) played loud harmonica music on the PA all night long. Seventh circle of hell...
 

jcwu

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
2,958
Reaction score
37
Location
San Jose, CA
I recall the night it all started to get to me. Stranded at O'Hare. ALL hotel rooms booked for a 15-mile radius. Burned up $30 in a cab in a fruitless effort to find somewhere, anywhere, to lay down. Nada.

Returned to the airport only to find that TSA had closed down for the night, so I had to find a place to roost street side. All of the good spots were taken by bums trying to keep from freezing to death.

I ended up under an escalator, clutching my briefcase, laying on the marble floor, trying to get a few winks. Only O'Hare (perhaps to dissuade the bums) played loud harmonica music on the PA all night long. Seventh circle of hell...

But were you able to relax?
 
Top