Life Review: Long lines

 I wish I had taken a picture and was really tempted. In the end, I was a bit afraid of fomenting a riot. I was in the looooooongest line for TSA clearance I have ever seen anywhere. It was Sunday AM and two friends and I were headed for San Juan, Puerto Rico. We were running a bit later than I would prefer, but they had done the driving and I was grateful for that. I seldom check a bag, so I got my boarding pass very fast. After they had checked a bag, we rounded the corner, and behold the longest line I have ever seen for anything. In fact, I couldn't tell exactly how far the line went, it was so very long. Well, to get on a plane you must go through TSA screening, so here we go.

At least the line moved--mostly. We wound back and forth and we inched toward our goal. I looked at my watch, I looked for the end of the line, and then I looked at my watch again. After what seemed an eternity, we made it. It had been a long time since I had gone through one of these. Pre-COVID I was very often on the TSA precheck list, which meant I didn't have do a lot of things and the line was much, much shorter. Now I had to load everything into separate plastic bins, which frankly, were a bit too big for the conveyor they were supposed to slide along. Being new to this game, since COVID, I forgot to take my wallet out of my pocket, which sent me through the screening a second time. My pants were so loose I feared I would lose them without my belt. My shoes, as usual, were tied so that I could slip them on and off with ease.

Finally I was past TSA, now down those long escalators in ATL. Then to the train. My gate was on E, which is the next to last stop. I looked at my watch more than once. When we pulled into E station I was one of the first off the train and ran to the gate. If I made it on time, I would beg them to hold the gate open for my friends.

Whew! We made it. I was rejoicing in the L^rd for answering my many prayers. He showed His mercy and we made it with time to spare.

Thanks be to G^d and that long, long line should teach us a lesson. Moses waited 80 years to start delivering the Israelites. Elijah waited 3+ years for his showdown with the baal worshippers. What's a little TSA line compared to those?

L^rd teach me patience, just do it in a hurry!