There I was, standing beside the swimming pool on our recent Disney Cruise, contemplating a rather important decision. The gate separating the concierge swimming pool from the regular guests had been left open. Should I leave it open, or should I close it to preserve the privileges of those who had paid for the concierge experience? After a brief moment of careful consideration, I decided on the latter.
After all, some order must be maintained in society.
You see, my family had paid for an upgrade to the concierge experience on our Disney Cruise. It came with a private lounge, an exclusive swimming pool and a rather impressive level of personal attention. And I must confess, I adapted to my new social standing rather quickly.
Before boarding the ship, when I felt tired and let out a sigh, I was just an ordinary man sighing. But on board, I was no longer an ordinary man sighing. I was a concierge man sighing. Even my sigh was now a concierge level sigh. One that carried a certain degree of importance and sophistication, you understand.
When my children tested my patience, I wasn't simply another frustrated father trying to manage two young children. I was a frustrated concierge father. The frustration was exactly the same, of course. But somehow, it felt a little more distinguished.
Even meeting the Disney princesses was different. Normally, we would have to look for them and join the queue for photographs. But in the concierge lounge, the princesses came to us of course.
For four glorious days, I had become a man of considerable importance. But beneath all the jokes, I noticed something rather interesting about myself. It didn't take very long to get used to being treated differently. The special access, personal attention and little conveniences that initially felt like wonderful surprises quickly began to feel normal.
And perhaps that's something quite human about us. When life gets a little better, our expectations have a funny way of catching up. What once felt like a privilege becomes something we expect. And sometimes, we even become rather protective of it. Just like that swimming pool gate : )
A few days earlier, I would have been perfectly happy swimming on the other side. But after becoming a concierge guest, suddenly I found myself concerned about maintaining proper boundaries. I suppose the same thing happens outside cruise ships too. A better job, a nicer home, a little more comfort or recognition. We begin by feeling grateful, but over time, these things quietly become our new normal.
Four days later, our cruise ended. I stepped off the ship, and just like that, my concierge identity disappeared. No private lounge. No exclusive swimming pool. No princesses coming to look for us. Just an ordinary man returning to his ordinary life.
I suppose that was the lesson. Privileges come and go, and we shouldn't become too attached to them. At the end of the day, we must learn to be content with the simple things in life. Back home, our helpers took care of the laundry, and after a good afternoon nap, lunch was already prepared for us.
Oh... wait a minute. ...perhaps... then... my point of this post is that we should learn to recognise the privileges we've already grown so accustomed to that we hardly notice them anymore. What feels ordinary to us may already be someone else's idea of a rather luxurious life. And for that, I really ought to be thankful. Although, I must admit, having Disney princesses come looking for you was rather nice.
Now, excuse me while I let out, another sigh. A very ordinary one, unfortunately.