So I Have Become A Big Sissy Boy (apologies for the gender slight)

This morning I completed my trip to Kinshasa via Angola around noon. I was beat down by the ordeal on Sunday (14 hours in the plane and the chaos that ensued). We left this morning at 5am for the airport and made it out to the runway by 8. Just as things were looking good, the same litany began again - an announcement in French, lots of murmurs followed by an incredulous protest, then the muffled English explanation I could barely understand. Something about the airport shutting down due to a presidential flight arriving. I was beginning to think I was cursed. The delay was minimal however, and we were soon airborne. I was delighted, but not surprised, by the applause that erupted when we touched down followed by a few dozen "merci beaucoup, Mon 'Dieu" blessings. After a little more delay, I was met by the embassy expediter and taken out to a van. He loaded my baggage and then disappeared leaving me to wait twenty or so minutes in the warm African sun as he fetched some CDC folks from the same flight. At that point I was tired and a bit self indulgent with my concocted misery, at least until I struck up a conversation with one of the CDC women in the van,

We laughed and talked about the flight and the various personalities we had encountered. When she mentioned a young African girl and her matronly white escort, I smiled. I had been behind them in line for awhile and was enchanted by the petite, quiet ten year old. She clung to a very large doll and patiently withstood all the delays and chaos as only a innocent child could. I briefly wondered how the ordeal was on her, at least until my back started hurting and I returned to own travails. Anyway, the CDC worker told me she had gotten to know the little girl and the woman escorting her back from France. I was told that woman was a volunteer and that she was bringing the little girl back from Paris with a new heart. At that moment I discovered again that I have a degree of humility, and that I still have some maturing left to do.

Immediately, I began to reframe the previous 36 hours as I should have from the beginning. Instead of focusing on the inconvenient circumstances and slight degree of ambiguity, I now thought about the refugees that I would soon be dealing with. How they must have felt with no guarantees as they were disrupted and displaced. How they must of have feared for their lives those of their families. How they must have worked together to survive instead of pushing forward in line to get to the five star hotel a little earlier. I am smiling now remembering that little girl's stoic stare and fully aware that I have some work to do. I will try :)