“Caution, the moving walkway is ending…”

“Caution, the moving walkway is ending…Caution, the moving walkway is ending…Caution, the moving walkway is ending…Caution, the moving walkway is ending…Caution, the moving walkway is ending…”

The “lady” at Washington National Airport has been telling me this for years. Her repetitive announcement; admonishing users of the moving sidewalk to prepare their disembarkation from the services of said pedal expediting device has long since become my welcome home. Kind of a reverse “honey I’m home”. She offers her fair warning in the same tone and cadence time after time. The only variance is when I’m hearing her greeting at one-thirty in the morning, like I did last night. Then there’s only one recipient of her sound advice—me. Washington National becomes a ghost town after midnight.

So she welcomed me home after my maiden consulting voyage of 2011. Here we go again and I couldn't be more aware of my blessings. Another year of airports, hotels, flights, delays, new clients old clients. Keynote talks, consulting projects, seminars and workshops. Thought leader meetings and a little networking and relationship nurturing. And for me, one of the biggest thrills…the pitch…the new client opportunity…the big idea…closing the deal.

More hotel rooms and frequent whatever points. Hotel kit manifest in twenty dollar packs of cashews and seventeen dollar cans of sparkling sugar water. Some rooms better than others. The Hilton Anatole in Dallas wasn't too shabby.

Last minute cramming and rehearsing…prepping for my deliverable…something that I should have done weeks ago. Pulling it out of my butt five minutes before being miked by the session producers…snaking the cord through a couple of buttons on a starched Flusser shirt and clipping the transmitter to the waistband...in the small of my back on a pair of flat front Polo Ralph gabardine trousers. Then stepping on stage and knocking it out of the park. I’ve been rolling this way for too many years to try and change course.

 Here's to another year of carpet and tile Jeopardy. And I'll give you the first one of 2011. Lobby atrium...Hilton Anatole Dallas. Suede monk straps...brown pin dot socks courtesy of the Brethren. Polo Ralph flat front side tab gabardine trousers...slimmer silhouette...Thom Browne...kiss my ascot.

 And to always having a non-professional intellectual outlet for this crazy-ass active mind of mine. I re-read The Great Gatsby this week.

 Onward…home from Dallas…up to my eyeballs in blessings and gearing up to listen to another lady’s voice of reason. It’s my LFG weekend. Bliss.

ADG II