Musing

[written and published from the Delta Airport Hotel at Calgary International Airport (YYC) in north east Calgary]

6C/42F, black, chance of showers in this land of hockey . . who gets up at this hour? . . . 3:12AM walking from hotel to terminal, from the civility of a warm bed to the great cavern known as YYC, a sparsely populated country unto itself – if it is a country, then Tim Horton’s is surely its capital; 2 laps, 2 levels, from gate A to D and back, and back and back and back

we must be there by 4:30 AM to check in we were told . . we are Maui bound, so we will

check, double check, check again – do we have everything?

easier, I think, to make sure we take everything from the room, thinking can happen later and whatever we forgot we can buy there

flying soon . . tic toc . . flight leaves at 6:30AM, forms filled, bags packed; sleep came slowly, not enough, soon, more, hurry, more, soon, sleep; sleep will come, two terminals on our path – San Francisco and Kahului - we must be sane . . we must be smart .

a veritable United Nations of persons displaced from normality, bench seating made to beds for weary travelers for whom the term layover was no doubt invented, incredibly early birds . . . amid mid-shift custodial staff muttering as they dust and mop and drive floor scrubbers – the Zambonis of this terminal rink do not sleep

I know I am in a civilized world, I know this is progress – it must be because we are so happy this morning, not giddy, not laughing . . but happy, displaced from normality but happy

thanks to all those who called in the last few days to wish me/us a great trip, none so poignant as KN who loves the same beach I do; I’ll walk a lap or two for you; to those who’ve never been you cannot appreciate the magnetism of that place in the middle of an ocean, that place that draws so strongly in the middle of the night, displaced from normality

aloha

Mark Kolke
224,83

2201.4