Wow! Look at that! My laptop is actually working! It’s sure handy having a son in law visit that is more knowledgeable than I am when it comes too messed up computers! Even he couldn’t fix the PC though. It was threatening imminent failure long before that infamous hacker got his fingers on my files.

Okay, okay, I know you came here to check out the details of our trip so I’ll get to it. Be assured of one thing, though. These reports shouldn’t sound quite so much like they were scribbled off in haste while the library clock was ticking ‘cuz now I can work at them at home and maybe even catch my errors before you do!

Let me see: have we left the Heathrow airport behind? Maybe we left Rye too quickly! I never told you about the antique and tea shops and famous English breakfasts! (I had delicious smoked haddock, though!) Oh well, find out for yourself if you’re drooling with curiosity. We’re heading for the terminal.

World Travel is just another name for Hurry Up and Wait, right? I don’t know how many times we did exactly that. We had time on our hands after arriving at the airport so did a little Short-Distance exploring. We hadn’t walked very far down a busy, bustling street when we met an interesting character. He was a street person with all his earthly goods piled into a grocery cart. We stopped and chatted for a while and learned that he had spent the last seven years caring for his mother who had dementia. As the story unfolded it became more disturbing. As a lad “Johann” had grown up Greek Orthodox but was now agnostic. His father, while in a drunken rage, would beat him and his mother cruelly in spite of being most pious on Sundays.

When his mother became ill, did he help? No, it was up to “Johann” to support her and watch, alone, as she gradually went downhill. She died two or three months before we met him. But like I said “Johann’s” dad was very devout, so guess what he did with the inheritance that normally goes at least partly to the children? He donated it to the church so that his soul would be prayed for, for 36 Sundays.

In the course of the conversation we admitted that many atrocities have been done in the name of Christ, but they were definitely not the Father’s will. We encouraged him to make a direct connection with the Father, because God is love, and He can lead him. As you read this, please whisper a prayer for this gentleman. I would love to meet him in Heaven and find out how his story unfolded from there.

“Good Night” In the Air

Our next flight was three hours longer than the first one and was also an overnighter. I’m really not great at falling asleep even at home, and this was no exception. How my legs did ache! Out of desperation I would get up and walk around once in a while. It is a marvel to behold how readily some folks zonked off. There were those that were snoozing with their chin almost on their chests. Did I envy them? Well, maybe a little, but I did wonder how their necks would feel when they woke up. One sweet, young teenager leaned over to talk to me as I trudged past. Our conversation was about this long: “You can’t sleep? I can’t either!” But it was a friendly connection in a sea of shadowed faces. On a different plane one man was asleep even before takeoff and slumbered almost constantly until he had to drag himself off the plane many hours later. Oh, to keep the record straight, I did fall asleep for a few seconds, not minutes on the flight from London to Johannesburg. On the way home I even slept longer!

There were others that were prowling around in the dark. One businessman (?) was doing knee bends to aid circulation and he and I got to chatting. These late night vigils gave me opportunity to exchanged smiles and a few words with more than one gentle-faced woman clothed in Middle Eastern attire.

I felt sorry for one Chinese couple, though. Off and on all during a certain flight their toddler was fussing. I wanted so much to go help them, but that just Isn’t Done and besides they may have not even known English. I saw “Daddy” in the back with a child but could offer little more than a sympathetic smile. When daylight arrived, I discovered that it wasn’t one, but two toddlers that were having an unhappy flight. They were identical twins!

Maybe that’s enough for now. I feel ready for a nap!