David J. Danto

Business travel thoughts in my own, personal opinion

eMail: ddanto@IMCCA.org Follow Video & Technology Industry News: @NJDavidD

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Johnny Pillowseed

The business traveler’s life can be a difficult one,

with routine delays and abuse that are certainly no fun.

But when sidelined by surgery around one’s neck,

even years after recovery, one can feel like heck.

For most hotels use pillows that are paper thin,

and even stacked three deep one could feel through them a pin.

These sad excuses for supporting one’s head,

make the daytime after sleeping an endurance to dread.

So in a world where coffee can be six dollars a cup,

one business traveler stumbled upon an expense to suck-up.

The local Walmart or Target stocks pillows scores deep,

with enough stuffing and support to let recovering ACDF patients sleep.

As they are too big to bring in a carry-on on a trip,

they are also too big to make the return flip.

So left on hotel beds with a simple toss,

per trip these pillow investments represent a ~$12 loss.

Sadly accountants don’t see pillow purchases as an expense legit,

making the traveler’s wife throw her usual fit.

“What do you mean you spent money on another throw-away thing

when your purchase away to the home you don’t bring.”

Too hard to explain the unreliability and delay of checked bags,

so the business traveler has to deal with these constant nags.

In a perfect world every hotel that had beds,

would ensure these facilities could adequately support heads.

In that very same world airlines would ensure those with millions of miles earned,

would have their baggage rapidly and reliably returned.

But sadly that is a world we do not live in,

as transportation and lodging firms will never let the business traveler win.

So we do what we must to cope with the pain,

so that we can complete our tasks and head home again.

At some point however, if all business travelers cope thus,

there should be enough pillows seeded to prevent all the fuss.

For now though, I fear that I’m the only one

That gets to enjoy all the pillow-shopping fun.

As the holiday season approaches and our hearts turn to joy,

I wish the hoteliers wouldn’t be so coy,

and would thank me for growing their inventories of pillows,

as I seed them like apple trees, amongst the pines and willows.

If you arrive in your hotel room at three in the morning,

and wonder how you’ll survive the night ‘till day’s dawning,

and are shocked that your pillow is actually not paper thin,

please send me a note of thanks for the unexpected win.

I wish you and yours a joyous holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year.

This article was written by David Danto and contains solely his own, personal opinions.

All image and links provided above as reference under prevailing fair use statutes.