UBC Motherhood - Onwards

Can you believe this July challenge is almost done?

Earlier this week we went to the airport at my son's request. We spent many hours in the sweltering heat, and apart from the temperatures, we had a really good time. 

He has the Flight Radar App on his phone, allowing us to see what airplane was getting to depart to what destination, and it also shows the type of aircraft: is it a simple short-haul plane for locations within Europe, Africa and the Middle East, or is it the prestigious Boeing 777, aka Triple Seven, that is used for long distances like North America or Southeast Asia? 

Colin was especially interested in seeing a Boing 787 aka Dreamliner and an A380 depart, which only happens twice a day: at 11am to Singapore, and at 3:25pm to Dubai. Both were delayed, hence us spending several hours.

Anyway, I got to thinking:

Parenting is like operating an airline!

Very exciting! 

• Daily operations are keeping you on your toes as no two day are the same
• Ever changing security requirements force you to rethink your current passenger flow
• Customers are becoming more demanding and are increasingly communicating electronically
• Increased space requirements make you think about expanding the airport
• Your fleet is definitely using a lot of your resources

You do your best to plan and put processes into place, and still, circumstances beyond your control will create delays and cancelations, or worse, will get you grounded due to technical problems, or, as we recently experienced, a pandemic. 

Some years you are able to generate nice profits, and you think, hey, we've got this. Other years, you not only lose money but also important service level agreements, and you ask yourself, where do we even go from here? We may have to cancel destinations, lay off staff members or reduce services.

I used to work for SWISS International Airlines, and I can tell you that it often felt as if we were one huge family. The sense of togetherness and the pride of sort of representing your country, made you go the extra mile. You would not want to be the person who

• Caused the ticket reservation system to crash
• Forgot to extend airport badges or visa for cabin crew members
• Ordered the wrong spare part for the AOG = aircraft on ground
• Missed having the uniforms picked up for washing

And these are no matters of life and death, we don't even want to imagine what could go wrong if pilots and air traffic controllers made a mistake. 

My point is, I felt like everybody was well aware that they were part of a puzzle, and it took every single piece (person) to do their job in order for things to go smoothly. Of course typically there were roles destined to pick up the pieces if things went wrong, despite everybody's best efforts. 

In the airline business they're called Trouble Shooters. In real life these are the Moms.

Today's official UBC prompt is to talk about our activities on Saturdays. It's an interesting question because I realize how much my priorities, life circumstances and personal preferences have changed over the years.

When I was single and working full-time in a job that was not very challenging, I would hit the mall and other "action-packed" places like IKEA and meet friends for dinner. 

Getting more career focused, my Mondays through Fridays would be so intense and people-oriented that all I wanted on weekends was some peace and quiet, and if I had to interact with people, then only with close friends and family.

As a new Mom spending a lot of time at home, I sort of wanted to go out but didn't have the energy. 

With my going back to work, Colin becoming a toddler and hubby working on Saturdays, it would become our adventure time. We would go to see animals and hockey rinks, explore a new town, visit festivals and fair grounds, or go on a bike or boat ride.

Now that he's big and independent, he mostly meets his friends, and I will get groceries and catch up on laundry, very fancy ;-) Or, I get to sit down and write, as I'm doing right now.

Today is a special Saturday, however. We need to get ready for hockey camp. Lots of gear and clothes to pack.

This is an old picture from the first year he attended - and therefore spent a week away from home. I may have gone a tiny bit overboard. I designated each day to a color and added a little surprise for him to find. 

His skate (and gear) size has gone up in the meantime!

Would you agree that parenting is like running an airline? How do you spend your Saturdays?

PS: I just noticed this is my 1,200th post :-)