The next decade....what's in store?

Encounter with the station manager: 2

While waiting intransit in Barbados last evening, I spotted a fellow across the way and I thought to myself that his face looked familiar. I didn't go over and investigate further. Fortunately though, he got up and as he was walking past me, I looked at him and recognized it was indeed somebody who I know...

I've been taking Caribbean holidays for a long time now. Must get to know my region better. So on this particular Caribbean holiday, either back in 1995 or 1997, I visited one of the Eastern Caribbean islands. When I was at the airport ready to leave on LIAT, the LIAT guy asked me if I was in any particular rush and would I like to give up my seat and go on a later flight that day. I asked him what I was going to do while waiting and he said to leave it to him.

Well, that was certainly very memorable. We drove down the coast, and stopped at the botanical gardens. Man, they were so peaceful and serene. Totally awesome and it made an impression on me.

Back at the airport now, because my later flight was going to depart, the LIAT guy made me come in the back office and I was observing what happens behind the scenes. Very interesting stuff for me as I am curious as to how things happen; what are the processes that make it happen. Of course, because I am curious, I asked a lot of questions and he was very good about answering them all.

During one of our conversations, he mentioned all the things he would do were he station manager. The guy who was in that position was old and had been in the system for donkeys years so there was no innovation.

i rememeber after I reached back to jamaica, penning a letter to the LIAT guy encouraging him to do the necessary things that would qualify him for the senior position.

Fast forward to Tuesday evening now. I called him by name. He was puzzled as to how I knew it. I reminded him about that day and it slowly dawned on him who I was. I had also seen him on a LIAT flight within the last 4 years or so but didnt get to go through all the details of how we met. The first question I asked him Tuesday was "are you Station Manager yet?" and when he said yes, I was so pleased that somebody had actually followed through and pursued their goals and got to where they wanted to get.

This world is very small, and you just never know where you are going to buck up people.

Oh, one thing I also remembered about that botanical gardens encounter was that the LIAT guy was never suggestive in an improper way. That's how it is down this side. The guys are not so forward as they are in Jamaica!

Posted by yamfoot at February 22, 2006 05:48 PM