Troy wrote this as he was on his way to the Gala in February. Enjoy!
Seems like I write a lot of these while sitting in an airport heading to another event. This trip to our 3rd annual Gala started off normal enough. Get the to airport, sit down, and then the departure time slips 30 minutes. No big deal, just means I’m going to get my exercise hustling through the airport to catch my connecting flight that is scheduled to depart now 30 minutes after I land. Then while they were turning around the plane, there had apparently been a “biological incident” in rows 34 and 35. I glance down at my ticket, 34C. At least I get an aisle seat… 30 more minutes to clean(ish) that mess up and we finally get on what proves to be a pretty pungent plane. No big deal, I’ll sort out the connection when I get there. Taxiing out and wait…why are we heading the wrong way… ahh, someone’s seat is broken. We have to go back to the gate for maintenance to have a look. I’m starting to wonder if Christine is painted on the side of this airplane. An hour later, we’re finally wheels up and headed for Texas.
Why is that story relevant? Well, for one, it feels good to tell it because, you really can’t make that stuff up. Second, it’s a microcosm of the things we do everyday in OEW. Run into a challenge, keep your cool, assess the situation, and take action. Could I have gotten upset with the airline, pilots, flight crew? Sure, but what good would it have done. It was a situation where a smile and a bit of empathy went a lot further then words of frustration ever could. We pride ourselves on being able to overcome adversity and succeeding. That’s what our Honorees expect and we will not fail in that mission.
This weekend marks the kickoff of 10 years of OEW and the “Year of Reflection” with the Gala. Like we tell our honorees, we’ll take the challenges in stride. We are here to support one another and make sure we accomplish our goal. This weekend is about spending time together as an OEW family, celebrating our challenges, successes, and setting the stage for an awesome year. Looking forward to seeing you all!
Memento Mori!
Troy