Up at 4:30

it's 6AM in New Orleans. i am at the airport, getting ready to depart for San Diego for a meeting with our global footwear partners from Japan and the UK offices. i was super, super cranky about having to get up at 4:30AM. i even headed out the hotel door to bourbon street last night and promptly walked back in.... i have a big day today starting about an hour after i land and i owe it to the team to not be more tired than i already will be.

i was going to blog about New Orleans; about the music, the jumbalaya, the soaked-in-butter-and-i-loved-it-cajun, or the run with my brother-like-buddy matt from brooks. i'm not going to though. the most destructive earthquake to ever hit the world since 1770 has struck haiti, and as i got in my cab at 4:30AM this morning, ready to close my eyes.... my cab driver just needed to tell someone. he said, "i had a horrible, horrible day yesterday miss."

his entire family is in haiti, in Port Au Prince. he has not heard from a single one. i don't need to elaborate.
he told me where they lived, who is over there. he dialed his phone over and over.
as i gave him the fare for the cab i told him thoughts and prayers are with him. i had on idea what else to say.
i checked in and walked through security with a lump in my throat. that man's reality is utterly tragic right now. mine... is not.

cw