Today will be spent resting and getting ready for my return trip to New Orleans. I was there just two months ago for a noder gathering and to visit with some friends of mine, who used to live in Nashville.
I'm going back there to "escort" one of them home. This person, some of you may or may not know, has gotten into a spot of trouble and needs to return back to Nashville. They asked me to help them out and I agreed- Jay to the rescue or something like that. It's not exactly a rescue, really. This person is pretty much capable of making the trip on their own. I guess I'm going for a few reasons, at least only a few that I can figure out.
1) Company. The road trip thing is done best with someone else in the car, in case something goes wrong or exhaustion takes over and makes driving impossible. It's good to have a co-pilot. Also, going on a road trip alone can be really damn boring- I've done it tons of times and entropy sets in when the driver starts talking to themself.
2) Friendship. More than just company, I feel this person needs the reassurance of seeing and being around a familiar, friendly face. Right now this person doesn't have a whole lotta friendly faces to look upon, and certainly none of them are in New Orleans. I am trying to be a friend to everyone involved with the situation, ready to bend my ear or offer advice to those in need- this person included. This is what I've been called to do. As a friend, it is my duty to perform.
3) The past. This person and I go back a ways. We've seen each other in some unique situations that most people haven't. Having that kind of connection with someone, especially in a time of extreme transition, can be comforting.
4) Visual confirmation of my ID at the car rental company. I was asked to provide my check card number to the car company- that's the only practical service I'm providing here, as a friend, to this person. In order to dump their stuff into a truck and transport it here to Nashville, a valid credit card is needed and I'm, apparently, one of only a few people who can provide this service for this person. Well, there's always good ol' dad, but the situation this person is in is so convoluted that talking to dear ol' dad about it, trying to explain the how's and why's and wherefores would be a nightmare. No, I wouldn't want anyone to have to endure that kind of misery- eight hours of cold disappointment from one's father, with nowhere to run to and escape the quizzical glares from said parent of, "How in the world did you get into this mess?" So, off I go to New Orleans to save a friend in need from abject misery.
I guess I should probably go get some rest now. I'll be on the plane tomorrow morning (Wednesday) at 7:40 AM, which means arriving at the airport some two hours early. Should I take my laptop with me? Hmm... I guess so- I might have some extra time on my hands at the airport and I can always get some writing done. I can sleep on the way back, in the truck. I hope my stomach can handle the trip- the change in my sleep schedule might have adverse effects. But I guess that's what they created stomach medicine for, isn't it?
It's been two years since I've been on a plane. I've ridden planes a lot in my life (more than twenty times), you'd think I would have gotten used to it by now. But, still, I'm always pensive the night before.
Should I double-check my will before I leave? How morbid is that?