…Going from failure to failure, without a loss of enthusiasm.

That is one of my favorite sayings, and it was tested a bit over the past two days. I am sitting in the lobby of my hotel in Amman, Jordan currently, attending the World Economic Forum as a member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders, but none of this was of any help as I struggled through 24 hours of air travel and a 6 hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany with a massive hard drive failure on my trusted PC. 

Making matters much worse, my trusted IT right arm, the ever reliable and trustworthy Sigmund Crews of Operation HOPE, managed to fall down a flight of stairs WHILE TALKING TO ME ON THE PHONE about my PC problems, while in Germany!  Ugh. Of course, immediately it became obvious that my "problems" where no problem at all, as Sigmund told me with a pained grown, once he picked up the phone again, that he would have to call 911 and visit the hospital. Happy end to this part of the story — Sigmund is just fine. He and I both share a hard head it appears….

Now about that nutty PC of mine, the brand of which I will not name (doing the maker a big favor here), which has crashed the hard drive twice, on my primary machine and a back up system we keep just in case something unfortunate this happens — over the past 30 days; it is gone. Beyond repair it seems, or least while I am on travel. Note — interesting I am able to send this post, now isn’t it? Never, ever count me out (smile).

But the real story here is not me, my "high class problems" with my PC, my travel adventure or anything else. The real story is the incredible people I encountered. Starting with Ms. Harris at the concierge desk for Lufthansa Airlines in Germany, who worked tirelessly with me and for me, without being asked, for hours trying to find a technician to repair my PC on the spot. When all was said and done and all efforts failed, I returned to her to get her card so that I could send a thank you note once back in the states, …and what was her name? Hope. Ms. "Hope" Harris, to be exact. Her parting comment to me was this — "you know, maybe all this was a message from God above, to slow down and not work for a minute…" Wise words, and upon reflection, I think she was right.  "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plan."

And then there are the incredible people here in Jordan, from the night manager at my hotel, Amer, who could not be more accommodating, to the IT manager Muhammed, who worked tirelessly all night and morning long, without sleeping, trying to repair my PC. Even calling the maker’s technical assistance line back in the U.S. All to no avail, but that is no matter. The fact is that "he" said he was honored to do it, to have tried to help me. That was it. No payment, no tip desired, no nothing. Just his dignity, and my sincere appreciation. Wow… And Mohammed did not leave me alone until he knew I was taken care of, one way or another. I slept, eventually…but he did not. What a class act.

And finally, to my team. From "hard head" Sigmund, to Wendy Profit and Janita Diggins in the Office of the Chairman at Operation HOPE, to my personal chief of staff and "right hand" et all — Rachael Doff, who we all lovingly call the "Doffinator," who stayed up late, and got up early, to make sure my travels were safe and without incident, and my PC problems solved.  My many friends in Europe, including Asha Francis, who phoned and gave me creative solutions in quickly finding a specialists in Germany to help (ideas which worked, at least in part I might add…). And finally, to my sweetie, Sheila Kennedy Bryant, who while not traveling with me, offered me all too important "sanity breaks" along the way.

Yes, the real story — are my people. My friends. New friends in hope too… Thank you, just for being, well…YOU!

Remember, at the end of the day, what most of us call "problems" are only inconveniences, in comparison with what is going on in troubled parts of the world — meaning most of the world. We are blessed. Thank God for my high class problems. Take them any day. And so, yes, "success is going from failure to failure, without a loss of enthusiasm…"

Onward, with HOPE

P.S. Jordan and the Dead Sea….are simply beautiful!

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