I am Right and You are Definitely Wrong

“Do you have your Yellow Fever vaccination certificate?”

Well that’s a strange question. Of course I bloody well don’t. What are you asking me that for?

I’m at the airport, in good time for my flight, bags at the ready and all’s gone smoothly so far. I stand and wait for her for some time, determined that, somehow, by the sheer force of my presence, we’ll move on to the moment where she gives me the boarding cards. She’s young, probably new at her job and is no doubt still learning the correct procedures.

“I’m sorry Sir, but Sri Lanka requires you have the certificate.”

I’m not to be moved.

Of course she’s got it all wrong. Her documentation hasn’t been updated. Copa Airlines are inefficient and don’t know what they’re doing. Peru, with it’s all corruption, and all my unconscious bias about its 2nd worldliness, has messed up. I represent a British volunteer organisation. The UK foreign office knows what’s it’s doing. There’s no way I wouldn’t have been told about this…

Or wouldn’t I…

I talk to the supervisor. The rep shows me their official airline advice.

They’re not going let me on.

I hear her telling me I need a the yellow fever jab, that I can get this at the airport, and that I can fly again in seven days..

I persist. “Are you sure these documents have been updated?” Peru’s behind. They don’t update things.

There’s three staff now. Now they’re checking their data. My stand is having an impact. “Show me your evidence” another flight rep says. All right then, if it’s coming to that, I will.

I google and get to the Sri Lankan Dept of Immigration and Emigration.

Oh sh*t…

You know those moments when you just shrink. When the facts are staring you in the face and the only thing left for you is to get off your high horse. Do you know that feeling? Have you ever been shamed in this way?

I change shape. I smile. I feel the disbelief. Time to throw away these shackles of privilege and let go of this shape of resistance. I shift from a determined righteousness down into a small pond of humility.

I won’t be leaving here for a week.

Why didn’t I check this myself? I’m a number six on the Enneagram, I trust organisations and secure systems. My trip’s been flawless so far. I never thought of checking for myself..

Be prepared. Readiness is all.

The taxi ride back to Lima is a mad Formula One dash. The driver goes for any gaps in any lane at 120 kph. I think about asking him to drive more slowly, but I’d probably mess up the Spanish, he wouldn’t understand, get distracted, and we’d crash. He brakes inches away from the car in front. I close my eyes.

There is a bigger stage than the smaller one we play our part from. It’s often not for us to understand at any time why something’s happening. That’s where faith begins.

An hour later I’ve let go. Having no choices is often so liberating.

We carve our way to the Airbnb I’d booked at the airport.

Back to my privilege there then.