Post by Chips on May 11, 2008 11:28:30 GMT 9.5
Tanks of kindness on the high road
CLEMENTINE FORD
AFTER planning the trip at least six weeks ago, my travelling companion and I missed our flight to Melbourne this week because we were too busy gasbagging in the Jetstar queue to realise I'd gotten the times wrong and the plane was, at that moment, hurtling down the runway.
Even the lovely folk who jostled us to the front of the line ("we understand", they sympathised, "we have daughters just like you") weren't quite agile enough to reverse time by about 20 minutes to turn "woefully late" into "made it by the seat of your pants".
Thank heavens for discount flights.
Missing a flight that cost you less money than a round of two-for-one cocktails doesn't carry quite the sting of missing your connecting flight in Malaysia on Christmas Eve and having to incur the silent treatment from your father for three months because he's the one who had to bail you out.
And he's already disappointed that your inattention to visa details resulted in you being deported from Japan, which is what got you into the Malaysia mess in the first place and now you won't be able to return to the land of the rising sun for at least the next five years.
Er . . . not that that happened to me or anything.
While airline check-in attendants with apologetic smiles looked on, Jessica and I traipsed away to think of a Plan B. After a brief discussion, we decided to throw caution to the wind and travel in the preferred style of beatniks, hippies and good old-fashioned romantics.
We hired a car and hit the road.
The humble road trip is a must for anyone who considers themselves an adventurer and a dreamer. Set to the right soundtrack, zooming through the brilliance of the Australian landscape can ignite the indefinable sense of possibility that will be familiar to anyone who's taken the time to breathe deeply the scent of a summer rainstorm.
Last year, my dear friend and I drove from Adelaide to Brisbane and marvelled at the changeability of the environment. We live in a beautiful country, and it has indeed been a privilege to see a small part of it.
But the environment of a country is only part of its whole. Rather than the recounting of roadside adventures and self-indulgent front-seat prattle, this is a homage to the kindness of strangers.
This week we were offered help and hospitality at every stage of our trip without qualification. There was the lady at the car hire company who secured us a discounted vehicle, and the owner of the motel who agreed to not only stay open for late check-in (midnight) but also told us simply to leave the money on the dresser in the morning so we could make an early departure.
We were given free cups of tea and coffee in Kaniva, and treated to a comedy double act of delightful truckies who patiently explained to us the best route to take once we reached Melbourne.
Filling up in Ballarat (and as a quick aside – could Toyota Corollas be any more fuel economic? They practically run on air or possibly fairy dust) the gentleman behind me offered one of his fuel vouchers despite having only a few left. And while we ate breakfast, a kindly stranger topped our parking meter because we'd accidentally paid the fee for the bay next to us.
NO ONE has ever felt bad or hard done by or ripped off by performing a simple act of kindness. So I challenge all of you to perform at least three acts of kindness this week.
Maybe it will be offering the front of the queue to someone in a rush. It could be buying a sandwich for someone who doesn't look like they know where their next meal is coming from. It's probably as simple as taking the time to listen to someone you would usually ignore. Let's see if we can't bring a little love back into our hearts. Happy giving!
CLEMENTINE FORD
AFTER planning the trip at least six weeks ago, my travelling companion and I missed our flight to Melbourne this week because we were too busy gasbagging in the Jetstar queue to realise I'd gotten the times wrong and the plane was, at that moment, hurtling down the runway.
Even the lovely folk who jostled us to the front of the line ("we understand", they sympathised, "we have daughters just like you") weren't quite agile enough to reverse time by about 20 minutes to turn "woefully late" into "made it by the seat of your pants".
Thank heavens for discount flights.
Missing a flight that cost you less money than a round of two-for-one cocktails doesn't carry quite the sting of missing your connecting flight in Malaysia on Christmas Eve and having to incur the silent treatment from your father for three months because he's the one who had to bail you out.
And he's already disappointed that your inattention to visa details resulted in you being deported from Japan, which is what got you into the Malaysia mess in the first place and now you won't be able to return to the land of the rising sun for at least the next five years.
Er . . . not that that happened to me or anything.
While airline check-in attendants with apologetic smiles looked on, Jessica and I traipsed away to think of a Plan B. After a brief discussion, we decided to throw caution to the wind and travel in the preferred style of beatniks, hippies and good old-fashioned romantics.
We hired a car and hit the road.
The humble road trip is a must for anyone who considers themselves an adventurer and a dreamer. Set to the right soundtrack, zooming through the brilliance of the Australian landscape can ignite the indefinable sense of possibility that will be familiar to anyone who's taken the time to breathe deeply the scent of a summer rainstorm.
Last year, my dear friend and I drove from Adelaide to Brisbane and marvelled at the changeability of the environment. We live in a beautiful country, and it has indeed been a privilege to see a small part of it.
But the environment of a country is only part of its whole. Rather than the recounting of roadside adventures and self-indulgent front-seat prattle, this is a homage to the kindness of strangers.
This week we were offered help and hospitality at every stage of our trip without qualification. There was the lady at the car hire company who secured us a discounted vehicle, and the owner of the motel who agreed to not only stay open for late check-in (midnight) but also told us simply to leave the money on the dresser in the morning so we could make an early departure.
We were given free cups of tea and coffee in Kaniva, and treated to a comedy double act of delightful truckies who patiently explained to us the best route to take once we reached Melbourne.
Filling up in Ballarat (and as a quick aside – could Toyota Corollas be any more fuel economic? They practically run on air or possibly fairy dust) the gentleman behind me offered one of his fuel vouchers despite having only a few left. And while we ate breakfast, a kindly stranger topped our parking meter because we'd accidentally paid the fee for the bay next to us.
NO ONE has ever felt bad or hard done by or ripped off by performing a simple act of kindness. So I challenge all of you to perform at least three acts of kindness this week.
Maybe it will be offering the front of the queue to someone in a rush. It could be buying a sandwich for someone who doesn't look like they know where their next meal is coming from. It's probably as simple as taking the time to listen to someone you would usually ignore. Let's see if we can't bring a little love back into our hearts. Happy giving!