Somewhere, way above the clouds, over Chicago, Illinois, the captain requested that passengers please return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts. The irony of the heavy turbulence above the Windy City did not get lost on the person occupying seat 24D. Halfway across America, flying in the dark November sky, the bouncing 747 jet was finding its’ way to the “City of Angels”.
Mary Kate was leaning her head on my shoulder fast asleep. My mind and pen were moving at an even faster pace than the aircraft. It is possible that using me as a pillow is the greatest sign of affection I have seen from my daughter. My latest adventure was taking me to Palm Springs, California to chaperone Mary Kate at a four day field hockey “festival”. Some four thousand teenage girls were invited to display their talents in front of college coaches gathered in the desert sun. Every girl was there to chase a scholarship offer, and a chance to be affirmed or quite possibly discovered.
Earlier in the day, back on the ground, I was thinking about the almighty dollar and how it related to scholarships. During this dream sequence, I opened my latest bill from American Express. Shocked by the amount owed and the minimum due, I did what I usually avoid doing; I reviewed the account summary. The bill is broken down into categories: entertainment, restaurants, household items , etc. Surprise, surprise by far the highest percentage of charges accumulated this year was for travel. Through October, my bill said that I had spent $46,000 on airfare, golf, and hotels. Besides the expense, the travel itself had spun out of control. I had to ponder the question: what was I chasing?
In specifics, my trips took me to play golf, family vacations, visit prospective colleges, see my daughter in college, civil deposition hearings, and book appearances. In the broader sense, some of my voyages were much more wistful. This year I have been on the proverbial “road’ chasing past and future relationships, but mostly dreams. It has been an extremely expensive ride. The price for chasing dreams is costly, both literally and figuratively. I have spent much time this year in airport terminals and many hours in meetings all across the country. Touring college campuses seems like an everyday occurrence. I played some great golf courses on the West Coast and the Carolinas. I’ve been in the Buffalo cold, the Miami heat, the North Carolina mountains and the California desert. I’ve been able to go seek, to go back, to think and reflect.
It’s 8 o’clock pacific time and our plane is making its’ descent into LAX . Mary Kate and myself were headed away from the snow and into the sun. All the flying and travel and all the money spent for this long Thanksgiving weekend so that I will be with Mary Kate to watch her chase her dreams. As I step off the plane and out into the warm Los Angeles night I am not afraid. Pursuing the stuff that dreams are made of is worth the cost. It was time for me to get my feet back on the ground. It is time for me to start turning my dreams into reality. It is time for me to get my head out of the clouds.
