The Pathological Optimist

This past Thursday I endured what could be considered the worst lay-over ever. Originally booked on a 1:30 flight, it was canceled due to mechanical reasons and I was then placed on a plane that was delayed 5 separate times before eventually being canceled as well. They put me on a stand-by flight that was leaving at 10:20 p.m. (4 1/2 hours after my scheduled arrival to Mecca... I mean NYC) but the minute we boarded it also became delayed due to restrictions in Washington's airspace. Finally, I arrived in NYC at 2:45 a.m. and was safely reunited with my roommate in Manhattan around 4:00. It was no surprise when my luggage was lost but it did shock me that my bag not only beat me to NYC but arrived at the airport I was originally supposed to land at. While one might vow to never fly again after my experience (I have a flight booked August 14th to Vancouver), the pathological optimist in me found much to be thankful for on my little endeavor. Not only did I receive two free round trip vouchers but I met a very nice man in Casa Bacardi (the bar in the airport!) that even let me share his company cab with him into the city. His name was Randy and he was wonderful. Having 3 hours to kill before take-off, he told me all the great places to go in NYC and all about his career- an independent film maker. He is currently working on a documentary on kids in Africa with the premise of how culture gets passed down in orphans when they have no parents to instill their beliefs which I thought was just fabulous!
Check out his website: floatingfilms.org