So I guess I have learned to value of having friends that will go out of their way in your time of crisis. My whole life, I have made every attempt to avoid these situations for the mere reason that I do not want to depend on anyone to come through for me. Only a very few times in my life have I truly needed someone else to come through for me in the crutch. I guess it all boils down to not feeling inadequate in a situation.

Despite my desperate attempt to never be desperately in need of help, I found myself in a dire situation tonight. Thankfully, I have friends that are willing to put their own comfort aside for my benefit.

To make a really long story short, due to being in Vermont all last week, not having my paycheck until today when I got back to my apartment, and Bank of America’s regulations, I found myself in the position of having no cash to get a cab to the airport.

I was expecting to get back to my apartment around 3:00pm, pick up my paycheck, take it to the bank, deposit it, get some cash, catch a cab and be at the airport by 4:00pm (my flight left at 6:00pm). Well, I found myself without cash. No problem, I thought. I have an emergency credit card that I could use. Some cabs have credit card swipers in them, I will just find a cab that accepts credit cards.

Basically, I stood (no, I walked) up Broadway trying to hail a cab for over an hour. I stopped about 5 or 6 but none of them accepted credit cards. Why do I not just get cash from the card at an ATM? Because I do not have the PIN number for that card.

So, once again, to make a long story short, there I was, cold (VERY COLD from standing outside for over an hour), without any cash, worried that I was going to miss my flight home, trying desperately to hail any cab that I could (most just flew passed me)… I called home, and while they tried to help, it was not going to be in time.

So, completely desperate, I decided to call Ellie to see if she could help out. Oh, thank God for great dependable friends. She came all the way from uptown, got cash out of her own bank account and helped me hail a cab. Whew! So at that point, it was 5:00pm.

If you know anything about NYC traffic around 5:00 AND take into consideration all the Thanksgiving traveling, AND the fact that there was heavily congested traffic, AND the fact that the airport would probably be almost impossible to get through with all the lines, getting in the cab with only an hour until my flight left almost seemed like a lost cause.

So, I told my driver my situation, and even he was like, “ummm, yeah… Good luck.” But he flew through traffic, taking all the detours to try to get me to the airport in time. “What airlines are you flying tonight?” I replied, “United.”

So, at 5:32pm, he dropped me off at Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport. I thank him and then rush inside to try my best to fight with all the Thanksgiving travelers and security. I try my luck at the kiosk to check in… It tells me to check with a representative to check in.
“Where are you flying today?”
Completely out of breath I reply, “Nashville, through Charlotte.”
“Mr. Moore, you are at the wrong airline. We partner with US Airways and if your flight connects in Charlotte, you are on US Airways.”
I look around to the right and left expecting to see US Airways illuminated somewhere near.
“Mr. Moore, you are going to need to go to Terminal C, you are in Terminal B.”

Ok, and if you know anything about LaGuardia, this is not just a matter of walking a little bit inside… you have to go outside and walk… Think about trying to get all the way across a college campus when you have your final in just a few minutes.

Oh, and did I mention that I am crippled because of a sledding accident yesterday?! So, not only did I have to make it to another terminal before I even CHECKED-IN, but I had to hurry even through my leg was injured. So imagine this: me trying my best to run/limp across the parking lot/sidewalk all the way to the other terminal whilst trying to pull my bag behind me. My flight left in 15 minutes.

So, once again to make a long story short, I rushed into Terminal C after about 8 minutes of a combination between limping and speed-walking and finally check in, hurry through security and on to my gate.

Luckily, my flight had been delayed about 30 minutes. Whew. I just stopped, posed myself against one of the walls and slowly slid down with my back until I was rested on the floor. I could once again start to breath.

So here I sit, on the plane to Charlotte. Luckily I made it. I am thankfully for great friends, God’s faithfulness, Thanksgiving air traffic, and mild weather… for those are the only reason that I am even on this plane right now. That, and one heck of a cab driver.