Fifteen years ago, after being trapped in a plane on the tarmac at Mumbai Airport for 12 hours without food, water, or fresh air in 38 degree C heat, we were finally allowed to deplane and wander outside on the steaming runway for a few precious moments. The vast majority of passengers had turned ugly and frightfully close to murderous. Looking down on the sea of sticky-soft blackness, I spied a small metal zipper pull tab from a piece of long gone luggage. It was rather ordinary as zipper pull tabs go, except for two simple words stamped on it. “Travel Well” it read. I picked it up and pondered the current situation for a moment. Then, with the obligatory Indian head waggle, I placed it in my pocket and re-boarded the plane with a new-found sense of gratitude, and patiently waited for our journey to continue. I still have the pull tab to this day…tied to my journal.
