Around 1:30pm, though, I was watching television and saw that John Paul
II's health was in grave condition. Some media reports were reporting
that he was still alive; others reported that he had already died.
Suddenly, I decided to go to Rome. I had always kept enough frequent
flyer miles in my account just for an emergency like this. So at 2pm I
called Northwest to see if I could use my miles to get on a flight. And
the woman said there was
one
flight available in the next few days, and only
one seat left on the plane. It was
leaving in 3 hours.
So I threw my clothes in a bag, hopped in the car, and 3 hours later
was in the air...heading to Rome.
This is when it's nice having practically no life and no commitments.
You can leave literally at the drop of a hat. (Though just because
someone drops a hat - that's not a reason to leave the country, of
course.)
By time I landed in Amsterdam, I wondered two things:
Did I really just leave my
house 11 hours ago, without telling anyone?
And, I wondered, in my best
Chandler voice:
Could I
be more tired?
But, of course, what was
most important was that John Paul II was still alive. And I'd be in
Rome soon..
