My travels took me to Nashville, Tennessee, this past week, as I attended a publishing conference and a meeting for a national media board I sit on. I had not spent much time in Music City prior to this, so Jolene and I decided to stay through the weekend and do some sightseeing. We saw a show at the Grand Ole Opry. We visited the Johnny Cash Museum. And we listened to lots of live music at the local restaurants and bars. We loved it and will be going back for more.
Traveling for us has been minimal since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and we still do so cautiously. I expect more rules and regulations at the airports now, but I am amazed by the lack of consistency with enforcement. Our flight from Des Moines connected in Charlotte, North Carolina, and masks were worn by everyone we saw, as required by Federal law. When I fell asleep during the flight and my mask slipped over my nose, the flight attendant woke me up and instructed me to secure the mask properly. In contrast, when we arrived at Nashville, we quickly observed that about half of the people in the airport were not wearing masks at all.
The fluctuations that we noticed didn’t stop there. In going through security in Des Moines, the security personnel told us to keep our laptops in our bags when being scanned. So we did. When we attempted to do the same thing in line at Nashville, we were quickly — and forcibly — instructed otherwise. I don’t care either way, but consistency would be nice.
Meanwhile, flights were postponed or cancelled left and right due to weather issues, but the airline staff that we worked with were as courteous and helpful as I have ever seen. I continue to believe that these jobs are some of the toughest in the world, as they require continually dealing with angry customers, constantly changing deadlines and listening to people who want you to think that their problem is the only one that matters. I don’t know how much the airline folks are paid, but it isn’t enough.
This trip also reminded me of how similar Southerners are to Midwesterners. Tennesseans and their neighbors share many of the same values and beliefs that so many of us do. My North Carolina pal, Greg — in his wonderful southern drawl — says, “I like you Midwesterners. You tell it like it is.”
Yes, we do. And they do as well. This experience was yet another reminder to me of how much better our world can be if we find ways to celebrate what we have in common rather than dwell on the differences that divide us.
Have a marvelous Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman President and Publisher Big Green Umbrella Media shane@dmcityview.com 515-953-4822, ext. 305 |