The three essentials for Life.
So they came, and even before they arrived at their first destination they were bug-eyed from a long flight that had been thwarted twice by foul weather.
Frazzled nerves and fear of the future coursed through their souls. And when all proof of the next leg of their journey had disappeared, the remaining minuscule fragment of hope they had been clinging to, also vanished. Now, three basic needs rose to the top of their delirium and screamed loudly for attention.
First: edible, nutritious food. Not the feeble imitation that a vending machine coughed reluctantly at an exorbitant price.
Second: Sleep. A comfortable lie down and a good hearty uninterrupted snore. Maybe even with a pillow. Why is it that when you are so tired that a restful deep slumber cannot be sourced, but will wink at you and then infuriatingly run away?
Finally: A shower. You know the sort of thing. The gadgety doodah sends streams of warm water to wash away the grime and grunge that insists on clinging affectionately in a lingering way.
In the 21st century, in an age when we can send words and pictures to the other side of the planet in a wink and when we can put human beings on the moon, it should not be too difficult to offer intrepid travellers these three basic necessities and yet .. and yet… there they were. In a shiny airport with hundreds of other beleaguered pilgrims that all felt exactly the same way, clinging desperately to the last remaining shreds of patience, humanity and sanity.
Interesting isn’t it…what we return to, our deepest needs, and our keenest longings. Our courageous crusaders learnt that when the technology fails, when the computer crashes, when the system lets you down, then you are ready to relearn what is genuinely essential.