Lent: Day Thirty-three

Today is travel day, and it had all of its attendant last minute problems. But in the end we made it out the door and to the airport.

I find regular airline seats difficult at best. I am 6’5″ and 250 lbs. Regular seats were just not designed for me. We tried to get to the airport early enough to get exit row seats (there at least I would be able to stretch my legs) but only one seat was available (not three) and since I was traveling with my wife and daughter, we didn’t want to split up.

We flew Continental, and all three of us had problems with the seats. The lumbar support was very poor and my daughter, who has had her spinal fusion (due to severe scoliosis), could not get comfortable even with a number of in-flight pillows. Nothing helped and neither my wife nor I could get comfortable either.

Now I can put up with my own discomfort, but it is frustrating for a father and a husband to be in a position where there is nothing he can to help his wife and daughter except commiserate with their difficulties. To Cleveland and then to Las Vegas was over 5.5 hours which seem so much longer.

The one thing that helped was the in-flight music. The movie would have helped if had been a better, less problematic movie. It was Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and along with its obvious flaws (it was soundly panned – 73% rotten according to rottentomatoes.com) was that the totality of the storyline was Bridget’s sexual life. I was surprised that this R-rated and highly sexual movie would be chosen as in-flight fare on a continental U.S. flight were children would be present, even with some of the scenes cut, but I guess that demonstrates the continuing slide of our culture.

I spent most of my time listening to a collection of oldies and at least once quietly (not according to my wife) singing the romantic words to her while she tried her best to restrain her own laughter in between putting her hand on my mouth trying shut me up… 😉 When we left the plane, the woman in the row cattycorner to us mentioned how she had enjoyed me serenading my wife, which served to only embarrass my wife further. Later, she admitted that despite the embarrassment, she had enjoyed the moment.

Today lacked chances for any deep spiritual reflection, what with it rushing about and ongoing discomfort, but life is sometimes like that. I did pray at intervals, but it felt flat and lifeless. I went on anyway. Sometimes that is what life is all about, getting on with what needs to be done and muddling through.

We are now in Vegas and it doesn’t take long, even late at night, to see in the billboards as we drive in that this place plays sexuality to the hilt. Most people think of Las Vegas and they think of gambling, but for me its moniker of “Sin City” is mostly for it sexuality, which seems to exude from everywhere. Some say it is just an enticement to get you to the slot machines, but others see the sensual side of Vegas as an attraction in itself.

If this isn’t the equivalent of Sodom and Gomorrah turned into vacation capital of excess, I don’t know what is.

So, it goes without saying that I desire you to remember us in your prayers.