The missing case
What would you feel if your case gets taken. And it contains your passport. And you’re on your way to the airport….? Here follows another tale when PQ helped me navigate a highly stressful situation. And uncovered numerous gifts. I'm richer and have laughed more because of it.
It was an easy mistake to make when bags look so similar these days. I helped an elderly passenger with his bags onto my train to the airport. When I got off the train in London 3 hours later, only his bag was there. My missing bag contained my passport for my flight. His bag had no ID (save a school photo from 1957) so there was no means of getting in touch. Help!
I PQ repped instantly. I realised I had a choice; to panic and blame, or to calmly consider my options and take appropriate action.
I stepped into my 5 Sage powers and empathy came first. The man’s case contained lots of medication so his dilemma was far more urgent than mine. That put my plight into perspective. Then explore - all the tiny clues to trace him from the photo, where he might have got off the train. What might he do in this situation?
Innovate was next, asking help from friends and family to come up with more solutions, from sleuthing to researching ways to get alternative documentation to me to enable me to return home.
Navigate was appreciating that connection with people is a core value. So I reached out to everyone. I've had funny, friendly conversations with many strangers and appreciate that people are good and kind at heart (whatever the media might say). And that missing that flight meant I ended up having more time with my parents and sister and relived many happy moments.
Activate had me get into laser focused action. There was no time to waste.
I appreciated my problem solving skills and am proud of my resourcefulness and ability to manage a team of helpers.
And of my ability to stay calm in a crisis and share with incredulous others how PQ enabled me to do this. My case eventually turned up at lost property days later and I got home just fine.
I counted 34 gifts that would not have happened without this accident. From chatting with helpful strangers over PQ and Wim Hof, to getting free beer on the train, borrowing my mum’s clothes and feeling so connected, stopping over to see my son struggling with uni deadlines,, travelling so light I could walk everywhere and pick up some favourite goodies to take home, empowering my teen to manage home alone and of course learning to have a bright luggage tag in future.
My only sadness is not to have been able to contact the elderly man. For reassurance that no harm was done and that he was OK without his meds. And even to thank him for taking my case and giving me all these gifts.