7 minute read
Steve's Corner
Steve’s Corner “Don’t Get Treed By A Chihuahua”
by Steve Leland
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The title phrase was a statement made in an excellent book about leadership: The Mission, The Men, And Me, by Peter Blaber. This guy is a former Delta Force commander, and this principle was his conclusion after a series of experiences he had while taking the final test for joining that elite group. I won’t lay out all of the details, but it involved finding a way through the Appalachian Mountains for a ridiculous number of miles in an equally ridiculously short amount of time, all while carrying a rucksack that was required to exceed 70 pounds. The rumor was that it would be 40-50 miles in 17 hours, but we never got the final tally. The salient part of the story occurred 15 hours into his ordeal when he broke a branch and fell out of the tree that he had been scouting from, landed on an animal that made terrible noises, and heard what was presumably its mother making worse noises as it was charging through the brush in his direction. Insert mental picture of an angry mother black bear here. Of course, Blaber beat feet in the opposite direction and soon came to the edge of a cliff that was high enough to discourage the bear from coming over. He jumped, tumbled and rolled into the river at the bottom. Looking up, he discovered that he had been chased by a pair of pigs. Not even wild hogs, just a couple of pigs that belonged to a local farmer. After making his way out of the ravine, he discovered that he had lost his map in the fiasco. Presumably it had gone downriver. Searching for it at this point would cost him too much time and guarantee his failure, so he oriented himself by memory and proceeded to the final checkpoint. Appropriately enough, the name of this last test was the Stress Test. So, his point is that he had overreacted to a perceived danger that almost cost him his one shot at something that he had sacrificed greatly to achieve.
The parallel that I have discovered is what I have described as “being stampeded.” It’s allowing people or circumstances to convince us to react in haste, when in reality we are being treed, or chased over a cliff, by what turns out to be a
Chihuahua of a problem.
“Act in haste, repent at leisure” is another of my favorites. Often it involves the words that come out of my mouth. Having to eat your words takes a lot longer than it does to say them. Worse, some bad decisions cause us years of stress to overcome.
Cover Story All Aarons Travel: Your Seasoned Family Travel Assistants
The parallel that I have by Ali Elizabeth Turner continued from page 1discovered is what I
has a patented invention that is used on the Space Station. Rita is a registered nurse, and they have 12 children. Their youngest son, Jacob, has Downs Syndrome, and one thing with which they have a great deal of experience (besides parenting) is travel. When they were just starting out and had to do vacations on a shoestring, they went camping. They also went to the mountains and the beach. They went skiing at Wolf Ridge Ski Resort in North Carolina, as well as in West Virginia. In 2010, James was transferred for six months to Cocoa Beach, and that is when the Aaron tribe had the opportunity to become wellacquainted with Disney World, Sea World, Busch Gardens, and various water parks in Florida. James and Rita have been to Maine, Niagara Falls, Alaska, and elsewhere; and as Rita says, “Traveling is the most fun thing I’ve done with my family.” In December of 2019, they gave all 12 kids, five of their sons-in-law, as well as three of their eight grandchildren a Christmas cruise to the Caribbean. James and Rita have also been on several vacations and cruises as a couple, including to Alaska, and planning trips together is something they have enjoyed for decades. They decided that they might as well turn a hobby that they love into something potentially lucrative, especially because they enjoy helping families build memories, and Rita became a travel agent. She is a Certified Travel Expert with Holland American and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and is a member of the Cruise Line International Association. She is also certified with Marriott International, and All Aarons Travel is ready to help you plan your next vacation. The Aarons know firsthand what it is like to have a dream
Jacob enjoying time with his dad, James and a cruise ship staff member
trip be disrupted, as a European cruise which was planned for June of 2020 had to be put on hold due to COVID-19. However, they are going to go on a ski trip to Utah come spring break, and prior to that vacation they will be making a trip to Utah to see brand new grandbabies. They have stayed abreast of all the continually changing travel restrictions and updates as they pertain to COVID-19, and are ready to help you prepare for your dream cruise vacation at the best possible price. One of the things that All Aarons Travel brings to the table is extensive experience with the sheer logistical challenge of traveling with a tribe. It is something akin to booking every trip as a family reunion! “We can help you,” said Rita. In addition, when you have a special needs child, making a trip that is memorable as well as a pleasure for everyone is no small feat. Cruises have been an ideal solution, and as the illustration shows, Rita happily reported that “Jacob LOVES being on a boat for days. Whenever he sees someone with a suitcase, whether he knows them or not, he’ll say, ‘Let’s go to MY boat!’” Jacob has never met a stranger, and one of the things that has been a great blessing for James and Rita is how the cruise ship crews have responded to and
The 2019 Aaron Christmas Cruise
cared for Jacob. “We have experience with traveling with a large family, and we can help you,” said Rita. One of the things a Certified Travel Expert can provide is access to what are known as specialty amenities that are not often made public. For example, did you know that it is not at all uncommon to get to dine at some of the high-end restaurants on a cruise without having to pay extra? If it can be done, Rita will do her best to make it happen, and both she and James enjoy the hunt. She is also experienced in negotiating group rates and getting extra perks as a result. These days, many people have gotten used to booking their own trips online and hoping for the best, and to some, the idea of having an actual travel agent is something from a bygone, pre-internet era. I asked Rita why I should come to her for help in planning a trip, whether for a small group or a large one, and she said, “I am going to put myself in your shoes, and I want to make not just a vacation, but a memory.” If personalized service backed by years of travel experience is what you need, then contact All Aarons Travel today and let them help you make memories that will last a lifetime.
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