Do the things you have to do

Arriving in hordes, casually dressed business men attack the Hyatt's high end Breakfast Room, talking as they arrive ... as they grab Quiche, biscuits piled high with cholesterol, Oatmeal and bananas ... and as they eat.

They laugh too ... about last night ... today's meetings ... yesterday's screw ups ...who's heading where next ... and making plans for when they're all together again.

A few women are with them, doing their best to "man up" and out hearty the men.

Collectively they leave in a rush and the hotel staff appear like Tasmania Devil's whisking away plates, coffee cups and spills.

Within minutes the Golfers appear wearing custom made "Titleist" wear, in no less of a hurry but their laughter's a bit more sincere.

Lugging their golf bags, they also leave in a rush, climbing in vans to be taken to the "Heavens on the Greens."

Sipping coffee alone at a table in the corner, I watch,  amused with the man who drinks 3 glasses of tomato juice followed by an orange juice ... the woman who puts one thing on her plate, clicks her heals to the table, eats, returns for one more item, clicks her heals, eats and makes 7 trips for a very progressive breakfast ... the talkers who speak without ceasing and their listeners wishing they were somewhere else.

Mothers with children arrive making messes as loud commands of "STOP DOING THAT!" and "EAT!" dominate the conversations.

I haven't been on the road for a while so I'm enjoying it all.

Two men stroll passed and nod recognizing me because we had dinner in the same restaurant last night and the protocol is I nod too.

Meandering up to my room, it's time to hurry up and wait.

Staring out of the 6th floor window, I survey downtown Lakeland, Florida and wonder what life is like here.

The phone buzzes with emails and phone calls so I pull a chair to the window, prop my bare feet on it as though it were a Beloved Back Deck and respond to each.

I sigh when I finish.

A long day's begun.

If everything goes right, the meeting will be great, the drive home will be safe, Sarah greets me with sandy kisses and we celebrate the gift of yet more time together.

It's true that you have to do the things you have to do to do the things you want to do.

That's what I'm doing today.

You?