My Petty Grumbling

I was on a business trip to Denver last week and to my dismay, wasn't able to secure an aisle seat as the flight was almost packed full. They moved me to a window seat which was so far up that by the time I was called to board, the overhead cabins were all full and I had to check my carry-on bag.

The elderly couple next to me were obviously novice travelers. First they were in the wrong seats. As I tried to go to the bathroom during the flight, they didn't step out to the aisle to let me out, but instead tried to pull their legs closer to the seat, leaving me to awkwardly play "Twister" over them. The in-flight movie was unappealing, and the breakfast wasn't all that filling or appetizing.

Strangely, despite having my bag checked at the gate, it seemed to be last bag out to the baggage claim. I just missed the hotel shuttle and had to wait. It was hot outside.

When I got to my hotel in Denver, ESPN-HD was down so I wasn't able to watch the World Cup in 1080p. The lunch I ordered was sub-par, the beef tough and the chicken too spicy. They didn't give me a room with a great view, either. When I had to teleconference into a meeting on my room phone, the speakerphone had this annoying bug - everytime I tried to unmute my phone, I couldn't hear anything. The speaker volume was low to begin with, and I strained to hear my colleagues on the call. Got a number of e-mails which made it clear to me that people don't read my e-mail carefully enough and that following basic directions is elusive to some.

Going to dinner that evening at a esteemed Mediterranean restaurant downtown, I thought that the appetizer was a little overhyped and salty. The halibut was a little dry and the sauce wasn't flavorful enough. The dessert was good, though.

As I flew back the next day, I managed to get my aisle seat. The location of my seat in the rear of the airplane made it noisy, though and I wasn't able to catch any sleep. The book I was reading didn't grab my attention and I had exhausted my copy of the New York Times. The car service that picked me up had the air conditioning running too high and the driver made a wrong turn bringing me back home. I got home at around 1am, and I was exhausted.

Sarah and I found out a day later that a friend of ours from our old church has stage three or four stomach cancer (I share this link to the husband's public blog entry as an appeal for you to pray for them). She and her husband not only are dealing with the immediate health and treatment implications, but how they shepherd their 7-year old daughter through the news and process.

I wonder if so many things that my heart complains about (even if unsaid) during a given day are petty - almost to the point of insulting to God and others. You think?