Aeroplane food and the meaning of life..

Last night my wife and I were having a great conversation and it somehow went on to the topic of space travel. I mentioned something about the fact that one day we won't need to go to space, we would probably be able to buy the experience. Ok I'm all into sci-fi and everything, but it goes beyond that. Since all of our experience of things like is as a result of sensory input, I don't see why we won't get to a level of virtual reality one day where we actually experience these things - touch, see, smell etc. - without actually going there. Her reply was that it would never be the same because we would make it too perfect and that part of travel is the uncomfortability - if that's a word. The smell of an aeroplane cabin, having to wait for your luggage etc.
I realised that what she was saying is so true of life. While we long for the ideal - that perfect thing that will make us happy, it will always be incomplete without us being able to appreciate the mundane. The meaning of life is all about living - every experience - good and bad.

So - this morning I was up early to go of to JHB. After a good meeting in the land of thunderstorms I was dropped off at the airport again. When I reached into my briefcase I realised my wallet was gone. Now everything that I needed was in my wallet - my ID to be able to catch the flight, my credit card to buy lunch, the ticket for parkade so I could bail my car out.. you get the picture. Fortunately it was left in the car and will be returned to me tomorrow - but I was still stuck with having to get home somehow. So I decided to just go with it. I managed to convince them that it was me so they let me on the plane. Perhaps it's my honest face, or that I'm skilled in the art of Jedi mind tricks (I wish) - but I got the boarding pass. The next thing I found out is that the ticket wasn't on the el-cheapo-buy-your-own-food-airline but with another airline who actually gives you food onboard - so I didn't need to buy lunch. And when I arrived back in CPT the guys at the parkade let me out - with no charge. Now I'd been there the whole day - so that should've cost me around R100 - but they let me out for free. So - losing my wallet saved me around R200 - since I didn't buy lunch either. I find it really cool that when you go with the rhythm of life instead of fighting against it how these things seem to often just work out :)