A Most Fortuitous Plane Delay(s)

So this weekend, I went to go visit the grand metropolis of Peoria. Why? Because I am applying for a job with Caterpillar. Actually because I wanted to see the lovely lady(ies) of P-Town.

My flight from Philadelphia was originally scheduled to leave at 2, but then I got an email saying that it was delayed until 3:40. When I got to the airport, it became 4:45. Then when I got to counter, it became 5:45. Things were not looking so good. The agent started looking for some other flights and there was a flight to Detroit where I could spend the night in Detroit and then leave in the morning. OR I could go to Memphis then Chicago and get a rental car.

The guy behind me in line said that he was going to Peoria too and that we should get the flight to Chicago where upon arriving his company would pay for a rental car. Obviously two thoughts flew into my mind. 1) I want to go see Anna ASAP and will do whatever it takes to get there. 2) I have no idea who you are and I don't want to end up dead in the backfields of Illinois. I chose the former.

We introduced ourselves and then he asked if I wanted to grab a beer. I couldn't turn that down and when he said I could use his money vouchers; I thought "this might not be so bad after all". We talked at the bar about sports, jobs, family, etc. when he asked me what I do. I told him a bit about Echo, which prompted the question, "So you're Catholic then?" I affirmed and he responded, "Well it looks like we're going to have a good conversation in the car then. I have a lot of questions for you". (cue ominous music)

So we get in the car and start driving when we begin our convo. It turns out that he didn't grow up Christian at all, but joined a non-denominational church for his one-year old son. I told him that he should be commended for the effort and desire. He thought Catholics were just a big club that no one could get into. I told him about how Catholics are universal despite race, age, background, country, etc and how you could go to a Mass anywhere in the world pretty much. We talked about Islam and salvation. He talked about not wanting to be baptized because he's afraid of failing. I quoted Merton and recommended C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. He never read the Bible. I told him to give it a shot by getting a beginner's version or a commentary. We talked life.

At the end, he said, "You know- I really think that God put us here to talk." I agreed. Had our flights never been canceled, we would have never gotten the chance to talk about our lives and faiths. He might have gone his whole life thinking that Catholics were just snobs and I would have never learned where I should take Anna to dinner, stand up for our faith, and get free chicken tenders at the bar in the Philadelphia airport. We exchanged emails and the belief that God is good.

I got in at the house at midnight...and well that's a story for another time.