"We're at the beach."

I spent last weekend “at the beach.” I’m not sure if it’s because my astrological sign is Pisces, whose element is water, but I love being at the beach. I am drawn to the sounds of the water, the smell of the salt air, and the feel of sand beneath my feet.

I got to spend the weekend surrounded by the water of the Gulf of Mexico because we had a statewide injury prevention committee meeting on Friday in one of Texas’s coastal cities. Because my “real” vacations have gotten fewer and farther between, I’ve been trying to extend business trips through the weekend. My friend, Mary Ann, who was also attending the meeting, was game to join me for a girls’ weekend at the beach!

I had been looking forward to the weekend, but was a little frazzled when I arrived at the airport on Thursday morning because of some work obligations. For one thing, two back-to-back meetings had been added to my calendar for that day after we had booked our flights. I wouldn’t have time to attend the meetings in person and get to the airport on time, so I asked for a conference line, so that I could participate in the meetings by phone. Because I didn’t want to be going through security with luggage while trying to listen to the calls, I decided to arrive at the airport four hours prior to the flight, so that I could get past security before the first call started.

As a result of the government shutdown, there were only a few security lines open. The TSA agents were patient and trying to move people through the lines quickly. As I neared the front of the line, I heard one of the agents say, “We are doing our best to keep the lines moving and keep everyone safe during the shutdown.” At that comment, the man behind me said loudly, “I don’t know why they’re complaining; they are going to get paid eventually.” It took every ounce of self-control for me not to turn around and rage at the man behind me.

In the first place, the TSA agent wasn’t “complaining.” Second, I have spent my entire career working in government service. While I have never worked for the federal government, I have many friends who do. When I hear people complain about government employees being “lazy,” I bristle. My friends and the people I have worked with and those that I currently work with are intelligent, hard-working souls who often work long hours. Most have advanced college degrees, and most are underpaid because they have chosen a career in public service. As much as I love the work that I do, it would be difficult for me to go to work for 31 days not knowing when I would be paid again. Likewise, it would be difficult for me to be indefinitely furloughed. There were many times in my career when I lived paycheck to paycheck, so I have great empathy for those who were impacted by the shutdown.

I kept my composure and didn’t yell at the man behind me. It wouldn’t have made any difference in his opinion if I had, and it wouldn’t have made me feel good if I had stooped to his level. Instead, as I passed through security, I thanked the agents for their service. And, I may have said it loud enough for others in line to hear!

I can get dismayed by the actions and words of others. But, there are also things that give me hope for humanity. On Friday morning, we stopped at Starbucks on our way to the meeting. As we entered Starbucks, there was disheveled man sitting at a table near the door. He mumbled something that I couldn’t quite hear. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I ignored him. When I was waiting for my order, I saw Mary Ann take a sack over to the man. Instead of ignoring him, she had ordered him something for breakfast. Witnessing her gesture of kindness completely shifted my mood for the entire day and weekend!

When I had made our hotel arrangements for the weekend, I had done so in haste. I booked the first Marriott/Starwood property that popped up on my screen without considering location or walkability – both of which are important to me. When we arrived at the hotel, we found that there were no good restaurants within walking distance – something that is important to Mary Ann. We also weren’t close to the beach – which is important to both of us. After our friend and colleague, Kevin left after our meeting on Friday to return to Austin, Mary Ann and I took a Lyft to the downtown area, so that we could walk along the beach. I considered suggesting that we try to change hotels to one closer to the beach, but was hesitant because I’ve been told that my propensity to move from one place to the next makes it exhausting to travel with me. In the end, I suggested it anyway. Mary Ann looked at me and said, “That’s a great idea!” Before I had a chance to register my relief, she had booked us beachfront Gulf view hotel rooms for the next night. We all need friends like Mary Ann in our lives.

For the 48 hours, if something threatened to spoil our mood, we’d look at each other and say, “It’s okay – we’re at the beach.” Couple that with lots of wine and girl talks, and it was the perfect prescription to recharge.

By the time we boarded our flight to return to Dallas/Fort Worth, we had heard the news that the government shutdown had ended. At least for now, that’s one more reason to be grateful.