| As noted here, I’m commenting daily on the WMG Holiday Spectacular—which is a great project that releases a story every day. These might be reviews. Or not. They might be interesting. Or … um … not. They will be fun, though. For me, at least. Here’s the next story. |
“Project Management Miracle”
Johanna Rothman
“Project Management Miracle” is quite short. I’m not sure it’s so much a story as a vignette, a slice of life that lets witness a chance encounter between the title character—standing in line at the airport—and the traveler behind her who happens to be an engineer. It’s a heavy travel day, and the airport menorah, which is perhaps a bit too modern—or perhaps not—is about to be lit.
Airports are places of transition of course. Places where people of all types come together simply because that’s what you do if you want to get somewhere else. Baring a Tom Hanks movie or two, it’s fair to say that nobody wants to spend a lot of time there. That makes these two worn-down and road-weary characters Johanna Rothman uses to convey the story’s message compelling. They are simply two people with two backgrounds and with two takes on the Chanukah tradition, simply trying to get to where they belong.
There’s a certain lack of charm to be found in airports during the holidays, and “Project Management Miracle” certainly finds that mark. There’s also a certain sense of awkwardness that comes while dealing with people—especially for those of us with any background in getting things done around the corporation. (I’m fighting the urge to insert the phrase “the miracle occurs here.”)
Perhaps this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, or maybe these two will never see each other again. There are things human beings can always share, though. Our lives are more complex than even the greatest of human projects. And that, in itself, is a miracle worth beholding.