First Impressions.

The journey from the airport to the hotel can be tiresome. After a 17-hour flight, the desire to change out of the uniform and slide into slumber can be great. Even so, I have always been fascinated by the scenery that lines the roads winding into the metropolis. At first glance, it can seem to be a window into that nation’s culture – but is it?

On a recent trip to Dallas I was welcomed by sign after sign promoting accident compensation lawyers, their phone numbers emblazoned in 6-foot font and boasting nicknames such as the “Sledgehammer”. Decades ago when I first travelled to Johannesburg I was stunned by residences cordoned off by towering fences and razor wire. London had the traditional green and pleasant lands but also had buildings and bridges that juxtaposed historic architecture against towering glass gherkins of commercial office space. Sadly, rows of homeless shelters have replaced the Golden Gate Bridge as one’s first impression of San Francisco.

It would be easy to judge these cities based on these first impressions, however there is obviously so much more that lies beneath – both better and worse. Either way, a sidewards glance at 90 km/h is not a fair way to assess the overall lie of the land. And so it can be when we first encounter each other.

You will find that most first responders have a good “bullsh*t radar” and I was certainly educated in my formative years as an Ambo. Unfortunately, I was also probably too quick to judge in certain situations when I should have given the place or the person a little more time. It can be a human failing to judge at first glance and I am eternally grateful that my wife didn’t succumb to that trap. When we first met my father was terminally ill and I was the Chief Flying Instructor/Chief Pilot of a large flight school. I suspect that at that time my reasons to smile were very few and far between.

So now as I travel to the hotel I endeavour to see beyond the barbed wire and the billboards, although they will always capture my attention to some degree. The world is a wonderful place but we can’t let first impressions entirely dictate our mindset.