Archives for June 2004

I’m told that travelling by airplane used to be a somewhat formal event. Passengers dressed up as if they were going to church; gentlemen wearing suits and ties; women wearing tailored dresses. I don’t entirely understand why this was. Maybe travelling by plane felt like a special event? Perhaps they wore their Sunday best because the plane would literally take them closer to God? Or was it really just the fear of death — at least they’d die looking good?

That was way before my time, and I wonder if the overall experience of flying has degraded. When I fly, it’s almost always coach. Flying coach on a crowded flight (aren’t they all?) is worse than a trip on a bus. The rows have been squeezed to close together that my knees rub the seat in front of me. You sit close enough to the passengers on either side of you that it would be considered inappropriate in any other setting. Any sense of a special trip is lost amid a sea of human flesh.

Thursday morning I flew across the country, from Long Beach to Maryland, for my nephew’s wedding. This was my first trip on one of the newer airlines: JetBlue. Those of you who know me might suggest I have a bias for all things blue, but indigo-hued name aside, it really was a superior experience.

First, they fly out of Long Beach. This is a really, really small airport. The kind where you walk out onto the tarmac and climb a set of stairs to board the plane. But this, to me, is an advantage over LAX or any other mega-airport where you must park miles away from anything, shuttle to the terminal, walk what seems like miles to the gate, work your way elbow-to-elbow with the crowd.

In contrast, the long-term parking at Long Beach is only a hundred yards further than the short-term parking. There is one building for ticketing, and the planes are right behind it. It’s relatively easy to get in and out. Works for me.

If you’ve ever seen any JetBlue commercials, you know that they tout their leather seats and personal DirectTV screens for every passenger. Those are nice, but what I really appreciated was the extra legroom. I could actually cross my legs without contorting my body.

The entire JetBlue fleet is comprised of brand new Airbus planes. They are well designed, comfortable and clean. It’s a small thing, but some planes I’ve flown on other airlines have a well-worn look that doesn’t serve them well. There may be some safety advantage to a newer fleet, but I don’t have the expertise to comment on that definitively.

There are a few tips to be aware of on JetBlue. First, they don’t serve meals. They do serve drinks and snacks (twice on my cross-country trip). You’re welcome to bring your own meal if you’re so inclined. Personally, the snacks were perfect for me.

Second, you’ll get the best rates if you book online. They offer special web fares that further discount their already low prices (they are very competitive).

Third, if you’re into TV, you can check out the programming that will be available for your flight. It’s actually live programming, so you can keep abreast of the financial news.

Finally, their TV screens use standard 1/8″ stereo jacks. If you prefer high-quality audio, bring your own headphones — they’ll work just fine. If not, they provide adequate headphones that you may keep. They’ll work in your computer and pretty much any portable audio device.

JetBlue currently has a limited number of cities they fly to, so unless you’re travelling on one of their routes, you may be out of luck. The are not listed in the typical travel websites (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.). If you’re shopping for the best deals, start there, then check the JetBlue website.

The bottom line? I like JetBlue, and I’ll fly them every chance I get.

As far as commutes go, driving the Ortega Highway is actually a wonderful way to start your day. The sunny blue skies of the inland empire give way to June gloom and the salt air of San Juan Capistrano. The wildflowers are in bloom. And this morning, IZZ provided the aural stimulation.

So I reach for her and she moves closer to me
Whispering a secret faithfully
She says, “To love someone is to learn the song that is inside their heart
And sing it to them when they cannot remember how it starts.”

I will sing your song
When you need it, my love
I will sing your song
Be sure that with me you belong

– IZZ Coming Like Light – I Move

I’ve been thinking about contentment. All my life, I’ve been taught that contentment is a virtue — a trait worthy of developing.

The Bible teaches that we should learn to be content with whatever we have (Hebrews 13:5). Many great minds have written about the virtues of contentment.

“He is richest who is content with the least.” Socrates

“He is well paid that is well satisfied.” William Shakespeare

“He who is content can never be ruined.” Chinese Proverb

“He who wants little always have enough.” Johann Georg Zimmerman

I could go on, but I’d only be driving a nail with a sledgehammer. The world around me has said in a resounding voice: “BE CONTENT!” But is contentment everything its cracked up to be? How do I reconcile the desire to excel with the admonision to be content?

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are three options available to me at any point in time. The first, and easiest option is to be content without reflection. This is, however, a lazy answer to a complex problem. The slacker’s credo: Why try harder when this is good enough? The obvious flaw with this option is that it does not reflect our true nature. We are engineered — genetically wired — to be the best we can be. To be anything less is a formula for misery.

I don’t believe that this option is truly what the philosophers and teachers had in mind when they goaded us toward contentment. Otherwise we’d all be content with unhappy relationships, crummy jobs, substandard lifestyles and a world that sucks.

No, I think contentment is better expressed by the Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

This is the second option. The key is the symbiotic relationship between accepting what we cannot change (contentment) and changing what we can! Contentment isn’t some mushy, half-assed excuse for accepting less that what we know we are capable of. On the contrary, contentment comes only after knowing that we’ve done what we can — all we can do, in fact.

The third option is a distortion of the second, and it’s seldom crystalline in appearance: overreaching and wanting more that we can have, or deserve.

So I’m to go for it and change what’s in my power to change. When will I know if I’m reaching too high? Should the fear of over-reaching paralyze me from ever trying?

There are many things in life that I could change. Many things that I am changing. And many more are beyond my control. This is the gray area. My vision of the possible future involves two variables; my effort (what I can control) and the influence of things beyond my control. So should I not have the vision? Should I not hope for and reach for things that I cannot completely control?

This past weekend I heard a quote by Roy D. Chapin Jr., former chairman and CEO of American Motors Corp. He said: “Luck is the time when preparation and opportunity meet.”

I’m not content with mediocrity. I’m preparing for the opportunity. When it comes, I’ll be ready — I’ll “get lucky.” If I don’t recognize the opportunity when it arrives, I must learn to accept the consequences with grace. And be content… until the next opportunity.

This year marks the 21st annual Temecula Valley Wine & Balloon Festival. I first visited the festival 15 years ago. I was a fresh transplant from Orange County (the O.C. for those of you who watch the WB), and it felt like my duty to check out this local 3-day event. What could be cooler than wine tasting and watching colorful hot air balloons float by on a back drop of rolling hills and sunny blue skies?

Reality didn’t live up to expections back then. The event location is a regional park with one small, two-lane entrance. Parking was a couple miles from the actual event; we had to hike to the shuttle, then wait in a neverending queue. The day itself was fun. Overpriced food; booths full of cheap knick-knacks and a relentless sun that vaporized any attempt to block it with sunscreen.

Then came the coup de grace — the exit. Everyone had enough at about the same time, and getting out of there took well over an hour. Not good, considering I lived only about seven miles away. The kids were sun burned. Everyone was tired, overheated, dehydrated and cranky.

But that was 15 years ago. Certainly they’ve worked out the kinks in the meantime, right?

That was the thought that drove me to suggest the excursion last Friday night. Drive in after work, enjoy the sunset, the balloon glow and the live music. We’d miss the heat altogether and the worst of the crowds.

Getting there was a piece of cake. Very smooth, and relative to 15 years earlier, we were able to park much closer. The balloon glow was beautiful. The laser show was too long (Note — when they started playing Lee Greenwood, that should’ve been the end). But once again, the traffic ruined an otherwise nice evening. It literally took an hour and 15 minutes to escape the parking lot. The only solace we found was in watching other drivers jockey for position as four lanes merged into two, and then again into one.

It may be another 15 years before I’m willing to try it again.