Dallas, Day 5

My last day in Dallas was both nice and…fast. There was still a little bit more content to review in the workshop–and some people needed to do their practice teaching–but I was also traveling back to Chattanooga that evening and would have to leave for the airport the moment the workshop was finished (it ended at 5:00 and my flight left at 7:15). I didn’t have to worry about a ride the the airport because one of the workshop participants who lives in Dallas offered to take me there.

Since I would be leaving the workshop so quickly after it was over, I was afraid that I would have little or no time to say good-bye to the people I had befriended over the previous week. Thankfully, there was a time of fellowship built in to the end of the workshop, where we had time to express comments and thanksgiving for the week–for things/people we appreciated and learned from and such. It was a very nice way to end the workshop.

After I had said my good-byes, I was driven to the airport. I had about an hour and a half to get to the airport during rush hour traffic, go through security, and board my flight to Nashville, via Kansas City. Thankfully, there was not very much traffic on the way to the airport. Because I was flying standby, I had to go to the Southwest counter and get a special pass to get through the airport security. I wouldn’t be given a boarding pass till I arrived at the boarding gate. The airport was actually not that busy and I was at the boarding gate with time to spare, so I had some dinner. Little did I know that I had an adventure waiting for me.

My travels home will take me from Dallas to Kansas City to Nashville via airplane, then from Nashville to Chattanooga via a shuttle service, then from Chattanooga to home via my car :). 7:15 comes around and my flight from Dallas is leaving right on time. I’ve just had a good, educational week, some dinner, and I’m ready to be back home.

I’m not sure what time my flight was supposed to arrive in Kansas City, but we landed at around 9:00PM. As we were taxiing to the gate, I suddenly remembered that my connecting flight to Nashville was supposed to leave at 9:15. This means my connecting flight was probably already boarding. Fortunately, I knew that we were going to be pulling into gate 39 and that my connecting flight was at gate 35. As we pulled up to the gate, I looked out the window and saw which way I would need to hurry to get to my next flight.

I got off the plane as fast as I could–which meant waiting for all of the passengers ahead of me to disembark.  As I stepped off the plane, a steward asked me if I was going to Nashville. I said, “yes” and heard him say something about “hurry” and “go through security again.”

Hurry I did. I double checked with  an airport employee which direction I needed to take and I walk-jogged in that direction. I probably have about 10 minutes to get to my next flight, getting a boarding pass, and board the plane. I saw the security line for gate 35 and headed toward it. To my dismay, I realized that I did not have a security pass–my previous one was only useful for the Dallas airport. I stepped up to the security officer hoping that my standby ticket would suffice. Nope.

“This isn’t a boarding pass.” says the security officer. My insides start to panic–time is running out!

“You’re right, I forgot to stop by the Southwest counter,” I respond and retrace my steps to the Southwest counter I passed on my way to the plane. Thankfully there’s no line, so I step up and quickly get a security pass, and hurry back to the security checkpoint. I get through with no problem. Whew! I head over to boarding gate and ask the attendant at the desk for a boarding pass.

While the attendant is getting the boarding pass, I happen to look up and notice that I’m NOT at gate 35!! “You’re at the wrong gate,” the attendant says. But this was the only gate in sight: “Where is gate 35?” I ask. “You have to go over behind there,” he says pointing to a hallway that seemed quite hidden if you weren’t looking for it. “Thank you!” I say and rush off.

I have no idea how much time I have left. I only had fifteen minutes to start off with and it feels like I might have already used 8 or 10 of them! I see gate 35. There’s nobody around except for the attendant at the gate counter.

“I need a boarding pass for this flight.” I say.

“Oh, honey, the plane’s already left!” the attendant responds.  Needless to say, I’m shocked!!! I quickly pray, “Jesus, please let me get on this flight–have mercy on me.”

“It has?” I managed to say.  We both look in the direction of the gate and I still see a plane. Hope!  The attendant looks at me and says, “Let me see if they’ve closed up the plane.” She dials a number on her phone and in seconds has a lady on the phone. I, of course, only hear one side of the conversation:

“I have a standby passenger that has just arrived….he’s got a pink-pass…well, if you’re closed, you’re closed…ok.” Turning to me she says, “They’ve already pulled the ramp away form the plane, it’s too late. So let’s see what options you have for tomorrow morning.”

Shock. Unbelief. Dejection. Bewilderment. Why is this happening to me? On the bright side, I might get a full night’s sleep–though I’d have to pay for it.

I hear the attendant ask me whether I would like the 8AM flight tomorrow morning. Are there any more flights tonight? No, I didn’t think so. How about the 8AM flight? I hesitate. I’m wondering whether I should spend the night in the airport or look for a shuttle to some hotel. She asks me again and I hesitate to answer. I’m also wondering if I can reschedule the shuttle I’m supposed to take from Nashville to Chattanooga.

I’ve been standing at the counter for two minutes in a state of shock and still haven’t answered the attendant at the counter.  I’m wondering what to answer when all of a sudden a lady bursts through the ramp doors and says and says to the person behind the counter, “Where is he?”

“Right here.”

“Well, tell him to hurry up.”

Turning to me, the lady behind the counter says, “Don’t worry about a boarding pass, I’ll take care of everything.”

I head toward the ramp and that lady that appeared from there tells me to find a seat fast and never to say that she didn’t do anything for me. We’re quickly walking down the ramp and at the plane entrance I’m greeted by one of the stewards: “You realize that you now have to buy drinks for everyone on the plane,” he says with a smile. I smile back.

I step into the plane and all 20 of the passengers start clapping!! I can’t believe it! I assume the stewards or the pilot must have asked the passengers if they would mind delaying their departure to let me on the plane!! Overjoyed and even more shocked then when I had missed the flight, I smile back at the passengers and very gratefully thank them as I quickly take one of the 100 empty seats. In seconds we’re taxiing to the runway and are soon airborne, and I’m just reveling with joy in the fact that my Heavenly Father is miraculously taking me home!

So, that’s how I almost got stuck in Kansas City. The rest of my travel home proceeded smoothly and without any problems. I can now gratefully say that I’m “not in Kansas any more, Todo.” 😀 I know you all had been praying for me, and I thank you so much for doing so, not just because I got back home, but because the whole week in Dallas was a good, educational week.