‘Foil Blanket’

I experienced something I never wanted to experience……….. sleeping overnight in an airport!  I was at conference in Philadelphia and had a 9:30pm flight back in order to make it back for a luncheon in my mother’s name the next day at noon.  My flight kept kept getting delayed…..10:15pm, 10:45pm…..At 10:45pm it started storming….DEAR GOD, PLEASE DON’T LET ME MISS MY MOTHER’S LUNCHEON!!!  I asked the checkin folks if there was a flight in the morning I could take in case my flight was canceled.  Nope.  What about Indy or Cincy? None! By now I was nervous.  I pulled out my computer to see what came up.  I somehow found a flight to Indy that left out at 7:00am.  I booked it just in case. It’s now 12:30am and the monitor says my flight is delayed until 1:15am.  Delay means there is still a possibility.  I blink, look up again and in big red letters is says CANCELED!! Everyone hurries to reschedule their flight.  I’m 2nd in line and am told the first flight to SDF, Cincy or Indy is 9:30pm the next day.  What??  I half smiled, though, as I pulled out my online reservation for 1st thing in the morning.  (Phil, thanks for your help/advice from SDF)

The next plan of action was to find my spot to sleep.  I was given a small pillow and this aluminum foil type blanket.  I put my leg through the strap of my computer case, my arm through my purse strap, my hands held on to the carry-on bag and covered myself with the foil.  With each move, the cover crunched. As tired as I was, I didn’t sleep much.  My 7:00am flight was delayed due to different reasons and I arrived in Indy at 9:45am.  The Hertz rental car line had a long line of people and I watched each minute on the clock tick praying I’d make it back by noon. (I still had to stop by my house to change and get the awards) I became nervous and tears formed in my eyes.  I continued to pray to God to help me drive safely (but fast) back to Louisville…. and where there’s a will, there’s a way.  I walked into my mother’s luncheon at 12:10pm.  Better late than never. It was a wonderful turnout and a great luncheon.

There were a million and one reasons why I shouldn’t have made it to the luncheon.   I will admit that I did worry some, but I was persistent with a plan.    My faith definitely pulled me through.  Someone was definitely watching over me that day.

M.Y.  July 2007