Tim Russert – Dying at Your Desk

Tim Russert died at his desk on Friday, doing what he loved. He was preparing for Sunday’s Meet the Press when he suffered a massive coronary. Commenting on the loss of his broadcast partner and friend, Tom Brokaw noted that it is often said that no one dies wishing they had spent one more day at the office. Tim, he felt, would wish he had.
Tim Russert was a family man. He was close to his wife and son and especially close to his father, who he called “Big Russ.” Still, he was devoted to his work. His election coverage – especially that white board – was legendary. His enthusiasm caught you up in the coverage even if you thought you didn’t care.
So, when your passion drives you to spend those extra hours at work, when your love for your work is all-consuming, enjoy it! Own it! Don’t let anyone try to shame you or make you feel guilty or embarrassed by your passion. In all the coverage of Tim Russert’s death, he is called a wonderful family man and a great political reporter. Both.
What are you doing with your life? Work hard for the joy of it. Love hard for the joy of it. Honor all the parts of who you are. That’s true balance.

Airport Attitude

When was the last time you got on a plane? How do you prepare for the experience? Recently, I’ve spoken to a number of people about their airline experiences and, not surprisingly, have come up with a wide range of attitudes about flying today.

Connor, a recent airport acquaintance, just wanted to get out of Canada and back to Scotland on time and with his luggage. His two-month stay in the US and Canada had been wonderful, and he hoped that the end of his trip wouldn’t destroy the glow of two months of joyous experiences and thoughtful treatment. Alas, this was not to be if our carrier had anything to do with it. As stormy weather at JFK delayed and delayed and delayed our departure, we chatted about fights past, lost luggage and airport strategy.

Here’s a summary of our approach:

1. Be positive. We agreed that the best plan of action is to smile and to develop a zen-like attitude. Be polite. Be firm. Be persistent. And have several back-up plans.

2. His luggage had been lost more than once on previous trips. Mine went to Paris for a weekend without me. We no longer check bags unless absolutely necessary and even then try to bring only items we can lived without. It turns out that even gate-checked bags can disappear.

3. Do your homework. Find out in advance, if you can, what the Customs routine is like. How many check points? Can you check your bags through (if you did, after all, check them) or will you be required to retrieve them and go through Customs at interim points in your journey? From Toronto to Scotland, for example, you must clear US Customs in New York before proceeding, even though your only contact with the US is the path from one gate to another. In Toronto, Customs is a do-not-pass-go affair that must be traversed the minute you enter the airport.

4. Be prepared. If you hope to eat, bring food! Airport choices are not only expensive but also tax the imagination of anyone who has any sort of eating restrictions. Yes, you’ll need to pay $3 for that bottle of water, but it’s best accompanied by a salad or sandwich that you packed at home. Ditto in-flight dining.

5. Be creative. Where are the comfortable places to sit? To nap? How many different plans can you create to get you from point A to point B when your flight changes, is cancelled, is overbooked, etc. What other transportation options are there? I ended up hitching a ride from San Francisco to Sacramento when flight delays threatened my chances of attending my brother’s wedding. Connor engaged in a minor sit-in to get on a flight for which he had a ticket but had been omitted from the flight roster.

Airport attitude. Sounds a lot like what we need for all of life’s journey.