We Nearly Missed the Boat
The River Cruise That Almost Wasn't
Ever found yourself on the wrong side of the river? With a non-refundable ticket and the clock ticking?
We thought we knew what we were doing. We double-checked our confirmation email. We plugged the address into Google Maps straight from the email. And taking into account the bus and train rides, we made sure we would arrive extra early for our afternoon high tea cruise on the River Thames in London, England.
So an hour before the cruise was due to leave, Roger and I were wandering along a beautiful riverside walkway. Across the water we could see the centuries-old Tower of London against a backdrop of modern skyscrapers. In contrast to the bustle of big-city life, our side of the river was quiet, lined with apartment buildings, benches, and just a few people strolling nearby.
Then Came the Shock
With plenty of time to spare (we thought), Roger decided to wander up the gangway and ask if we could board early. To his shock, a worker explained this was the operations dock, not the cruise dock. The cruise departure dock was on the opposite side of the Thames.
Grateful we’d found out in time, Roger Googled directions to cross the river. That’s when we discovered the problem: to make it in time, we’d have to hustle several blocks, catch the right bus, cross the river, then do a fast 13-minute walk to the dock. Hopefully we could do it all and still arrive in time for the last “All aboard!”
Typically for us, Roger wanted to take what looked like a more direct route to the bus stop and I wanted to follow Google’s exact directions. But I acquiesced, and we started our first fast walk.
It’s Not Just the Walking
This is a good time to let you know something else that plays into our travels, especially when walking is involved. Roger is a Type 1 diabetic and has been for 45 years. Anytime we exert ourselves, he keeps a close eye on his blood sugar because he’ll probably need to top it up by eating candy at some point. And stress makes it worse.
So we hurried down the street toward the bus stop. But not following Google’s exact instructions put us in a quandary. We arrived at a confusing intersection where we could see the bus stop across the street but no easy way to get there quickly. A storm of discussion ensued: Do we jaywalk? (No, shouts Julie) or do we go the long way around using three crosswalks on this busy street? (No, shouts Roger).
Fortunately or not, Roger acquiesced, and we began navigating the crosswalks. But when I darted into the street, crossing against a “don’t walk” sign, Roger was confused.
“Why do you insist we follow the rules, then break them?” was his perfectly natural question.
“I said I wanted to follow the directions, not the rules,” I replied—perfectly logical in my mind.
Logical or not, we missed the bus.
But all was not lost—yet. Thanks to London’s extensive bus system, the very next bus took us where we needed to go. Still with a 13-minute walk that we now had to complete in 13 actual minutes if we wanted to go cruising.
A couple of Payday candy bars later, breathless and stressed, we made it.
We Didn't Miss the Boat—This Time
If Roger hadn’t walked up the wrong gangway, we would have literally been left at the dock. Instead, we were nearly the last passengers to board the cruise. But who cares when you board, as long as you make it?
Once aboard, we were seated at a small table for two right next to a window in the center of the boat. The views were wonderful, the sun was shining, and the disagreements and fast walking were behind us. And the high tea was perfectly marvelous, darling. Pinkies up!
We Had Options
“Now we can relax” is one of our favorite phrases. That, and “We have options.” Know what I mean?
We could have done things differently. We could have called for an Uber. We could have hailed one of those “small-on-the-outside-but spacious-on-the-inside” ubiquitous black taxis London is famous for. Or we could have skipped the cruise altogether—losing our money, of course—and avoided all the angst.
For the Future
I just wish I could remember to take advantage of the personal options I always have. You know, the ones inside my head. For one thing, I could have slowed down in the moment. I’m usually more panicky than I like to admit in situations like the one we faced that day. And I’m more likely to act like the sky is falling when a better perspective would be to realize It’s only an afternoon cruise.
I also wish I were the kind of person who could more easily see the humor of finding ourselves on the wrong side of the Thames, or even the wrong side of the street.
I’d like to say I’ll be that person next time. The one who stays calm, speaks reasonably, giggles instead of shouts. But honestly? If nothing changes, next time I’ll probably still walk too fast, insist I’m right, and let stress ruin my day.
Because my usual MO of grabbing control and acting as if every wrong turn is a complete disaster reflects my continuing struggles with perfectionism and control.
So here’s my plan for the future: I’ll try to remember to include three things in the plans: “flexibility,” “perspective,” “remember to laugh.” (Even writing that sentence makes me giggle. Who has to plan to be flexible? Me, apparently.)
I’ll try to make fewer mountains out of molehills, relax into the options, and trust that we’ll get through it in the end.
And next time I find myself on the wrong side of the river, I’ll try to remember it’s not a disaster.
It’s just another opportunity to gain ground against those inner bullies.
What's your "wrong side of the river" story? Share in the comments below.
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