"Loading Zone Five now," the loudspeaker blared as the gate agent announced that my flight to Baltimore from Tampa was loading. I was seated in Zone Five.

Airlines generally load by zones so there is less congestion in the airplane aisles.

I was working at one of the workstations at the gate. Tampa International had thoughtfully provided plenty of small work booths that had ample power outlets for people to plug in whatever electronic devices they were hauling around. At many airports, trying to find an electrical outlet is a treasure hunt.

I unplugged my laptop, turned it off, and packed my various cords into my laptop briefcase. Phone, phone-to-computer cord, notebook power adapter were neatly packed away into the accessory pouch of the briefcase.

I got to my seat - row 40, seat D - and settled in. Normally I would wait until the plane reached a certain altitude before turning the notebook on, but I figured that I would finish the project that I was working on while everyone finished boarding. So before putting my briefcase in the overhead storage bin, I opened the zipper to take my notebook out. Perhaps as I put it in the briefcase, I accidently put in it behind the padded pouch. No, it wasn't there either.

I looked in every zippered pouch and slot in the briefcase, just knowing the laptop HAD to be there. After patting each side and feeling only the flat softness of the laptopless carrying case, the sinking realization hit me that I had left the laptop at the waiting area workstation.

People were still boarding the aircraft and the aisle was full. I was at the back of the plane. If it was a choice between missing my laptop and missing the plane, then I would just miss the plane, although I figured I did have plenty of time to go and get my laptop. If it was still there.

So I began to ease my way forward, slipping as gently as I could past passengers moving in the opposite direction through the narrow aisles.

As I passed by a particularly clogging group, I said, "Excuse me but I left my laptop in the gate waiting area."

I exited the plane and walked up the breezeway to the gate. The gate agent held my boarding pass as I went to check for the laptop.

The familiar steel gray case beckoned to me as I spied it at the work booth. With an audible sigh of relief, I picked it up and headed back aboard.

Just as I was passing by the gate agent, a lady rushed out saying, "I left my laptop over there!" pointing to where she was sitting at the gate area.

I stood there in amazement.

I travel a lot and I had NEVER left my laptop anywhere. At the very time that I had left my laptop, another lady had left hers. It was an amazing coincidence.

I waited until she had retrieved her laptop and said as she approached, "It must be something in the air, both of us left our laptops."

Then she said, "I didn't realize that I had left my laptop until I heard you say as you went by that you had left yours. I then realized that I didn't have mine either."

She then went on to explain how all of her important work and notes were on her laptop and how desperately she needed it.

I just don't believe in coincidences. Sometimes we have to go through rough situations just to remind others and to serve as examples, even if it's a bad example.

Often the pain that you bear has reason. Even when the pain falls squarely in your lap...top.

~Author Unknown~

Richard "The Eagle" Motivator
JOKE A DAY - http://todaysjoke-network.ryze.com/
http://www.TheEaglesNest.net
http://richardtheeagle.blogspot.com

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