Trials and Tribulations

Stuff happens.

While that is not really profound, I find that I always expect things to just "Happen" when they should, for things to just work, and for plans to always come together, despite knowing that life is messy and complicated.

Recently my daughter spent some time with us in Bangalore, India. Her time here was enjoyed by all, and it was a difficult parting on Wednesday, when she returned to the US.

Through a mutual decision, we chose to keep her cell phone suspended, and to move her to her own plan. The phone was ordered, and arrived at our home in the US before she left, so she knew her phone would be waiting for her - but it also meant the trip would be taken without a cell phone.

Since I normally am unable to get cell service overseas anyway, and the layovers were expected to be relatively short, this seemed like a minor inconvenience. The biggest problem would be getting the limo company to know exactly when she was arriving, so I decided to closely monitor her flights, and update them myself.

She had her iPod, a pair of laptops, her mom's debit card, and a sunny disposition, so we figured she would be fine.

The trip is never easy, normally running 32 hours or so from door to door, being locked in 2 planes of over 8 hours duration each, and never really having a place to sleep, rest, or unwind. (I believe my family is the reason other passengers drink heavily.)

In my daughters case, it was much worse than normal. From what I have learned, her flight from Bangalore to London was uneventful (which, when flying half way around the world, is as good as it gets), where all plans when out the window.

Her flight from London to Chicago was delayed, then delayed again, then cancelled for hydrolic issues. Knowing a little bit about planes, I know that hydrolic issues in the big boys is a major problem. In addition to raising and lowering the landing gear (something needed for a 'landing' rather than a 'crash landing'), hydrolics also control the flaps and rudder - you know, so you could climb or descend, and actual steer the plane. Important stuff, all. Much better to cancel the flight, than risk people's lives.

The cancellation put her in a bind. She had no way to let us know what was going on, and she really didn't know what to do. (Me, I always play to my strengths - I become the loud, angry, XXXL American that nobody wants to deal with, until somebody lets me know what is going on and makes things right.) When the decision was made to cancel the flight, she ended up in a line a couple hours long, but did eventually get tickets for the first flight to the US the next day (to Washington DC), a connection to Indy 3 hours after the scheduled landing in DC, coupons for meals, and a hotel room for the night.

She was also able to borrow a cell phone, and call my Skype to let me know what was going on. While I knew the flight had been cancelled, I didn't know what arrangements had been made, so the call was very helpful, even though it came at 3:00 AM India time. I altered the reservation for her ride to the new date and time, and asked her to send an e-mail or call from DC if there were any changes.

She also had to get her checked bags, lug them with her to the hotel, drag them back to the airport, and recheck them, all in an unfamiliar airport, where they don't speak English, but British.

Since Murphy and his law are alive and well, her flight was delayed by two hours. Remember, she had no way of telling us anything, but I am monitoring the situation. Assuming that the one hour between the new "Expected" landing and the departure of her flight to Indy was not sufficient to go through passport control, get her bags, go through customs, recheck her bags, pass through security again, and make it to her gate, I notified the limo company of her new planned flight (almost 5 hours later), and did the best I could to get her a message - Apple's iMessage service, facebook private message, and letting her fiancee know (because I figured if she was given one phone call, it wouldn't be to me).

While she is familiar with the procedures in Chicago, our nation's capital seems to have put her off her game. She apparently spend several hours in line going through Passport Control (Immigration), and by the time she cleared customs she was pretty upset. She borrowed another cell phone, and called us (again, 3:30 AM India time), crying and stressed.

I calmed her down a little, explained that I already knew she was going to miss her connection, that I figured she was going to be booked on the flight that she was, in fact, booked on, and that arrangements had already been made for her transportation from Indy international to our home. She had plenty of time, she should try and relax, get something to eat, and enjoy the fact that the trip was almost over.

She told me that she was unable to check her mail, because her devices were all dead, and the hotel in London did not have adapters (and she was - wisely - not going to pay $30 for an adapter when we already had half a dozen, just not in her possession). The hotel also did not have an alarm clock, nor a "Wake up" facility, so she put the TV to CNN, which had the time constantly on the channel, and woke up frequently to check the time, and ensure that she didn't oversleep.

The final leg of her journey was uneventful, the limo service was where they were supposed to be, and she was home just after 1:00 AM - about 24 hours later than planned.

In all, her trip home was 8, 655 miles, and it took her 55 hours. She averaged over 157 miles an hour. It was a rough trip, but infinitely easier than what the same trip would have entailed a century ago.

My point for this post, though, is not to just to state what a long difficult trip this was for her, but to observe that life itself is like this trip - a series of difficulties and trials that must be addressed, and overcome or worked around. While I am sure she was miserable, she learned some things about people, and herself, from the experience. It didn't break her, it will make her stronger and more resilient, and that means the experience served its purpose as teacher.

We all have trials and tribulations. Some are short lived - a fender bender, a rough trip, or standing in line to deal with an overworked and stressed out British Airways employee. Some trials take longer - a layoff, a change of address, financial difficulties.

I wondered what exactly the difference was between a trial and a tribulation. Google, as always provided the answer. A trial is a test - something that tests your resolve, determination, and commitment. A tribulation, while similar, is a difficulty which costs something - same root as in "paying tribute". Trials can be overcome without any permanent loss.

I believe some trials can become tribulations if not dealt with properly. Financial trials can become tribulations easily. The loss of a loved one is always a tribulation, but the loss of a job is not, and can be overcome.

I pray that we meet all our trials head on, and they never grow into tribulation.