I G T N M T

I am not in charge of scheduling. I do not have control of my own calendar. Swim up river, or go with the flow - a daily choice. Maybe some of you have noticed, I am more than a wee bit hard headed. And, as you can see, I am willing these days to own that I am readily impatient and want what I want when I want it. Let's get on the plane to Bethesda right now!!!

For the past few years, I have done an in depth, very personal (though quite scientific I assure you) study of the word 'cordial'.
CORDIAL:
1. (1) affable, amiable, cordial, genial
(diffusing warmth and friendliness; "an affable smile"; "an amiable gathering"; "cordial relations"; "a cordial greeting"; "a genial host")
2. cordial
(politely warm and friendly; "a cordial handshake")
Most who know me recognize the first definition as a blueprint of me in a crowd. It is easy for me to circulate, smile, hug and chat before bouncing to the next party.

However, the 2nd and subtly different definition is more difficult for me. This version of cordial I utilize for the phone calls with tech support, billing people or the merchandise return counter at Best Buy. Speaking well of my growth in recovery (or at least in age), this 'cordial' replaces verbal assaults on some worker bee doing as their boss and bosses" boss told them to do. Even tougher were the collections people I fended off in bygone days. Of course back then I was not concerned with being cordial.

So, all that leads me to I G T N M T. In God's Time not My Time. Finally getting scheduled to go to Bethesda, MD, home of the National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute chapter, has been a cordiality trial. It is a government entity after all. I sailed through with relative ease dealing with the Chief Nurses who basically handle the implementation of the drug trial. But then, at the end of the scheduling process, we learned that I was not in their system. My name nor my records. And she warned, "We can't push the admin office." Her voice of past experience I am sure. Cordial Bill, cordial.

At last, the green light was given, the date was set and, she said "I will send this to our travel agent to arrange the flight". All right! Being cordial will be effortless with a travel agent, they are all friendly and helpful right? And she was, right up to where I said Jacki is coming also and we want on the same flight. I could hear and feel the weather change. A challenge, out of the routine, not part of her plan. She really expected flying on separate jets would be fine. Now the anti-cordial clouds arose on my end. My brain raced with retorts and cuts and of course the penultimate "let me talk to your supervisor!" which comes only before slamming the phone down in a show of POWER!!!

Happily instead all stayed calm in Mudville that day. Casey did not strike out - I was cordial. Having landed on that word 'cordial' only a couple years ago, the practice since has paid off. Jacki and I are on the same flight, staying a few days past the agent's preconceived notion, flying out of Phoenix on June 21st and returning June 27th. See the Capitol, visit "The Wall", get a meeting list for my collection and maybe eat DC sushi. Oh yeah, and begin the on site process of being in the drug trial. Thank God.
Bill