What, no strawberries?

Comedian Louis C.K. on the miracle of air traffic: “ ‘I had to sit on the runway for 40 minutes.’ Oh my gosh, really? What happened then, did you fly through the air like a bird, incredibly? Did you soar into the clouds, impossibly? Did you partake in the miracle of human flight and then land softly on giant tires that you couldn't even conceive how they put air in them? You're sitting in a chair in the sky. You're like a Greek myth right now.”

What, no strawberries?

The scene was all too familiar. I’m in the fruits and vegetable aisle of Publix, hovering over the avocadoes, when I hear a woman proclaim, to one in particular: “What, no strawberries?”  She’s clearly irritated. No, I mean, she’s visibly upset. 

As the blueberries and raspberries nestle close to one another, the strawberry section remains bare. Perhaps a batch rejected by the health inspector? Or, more simply, a shipment delayed by bad weather? Either way, no strawberries are going home with this woman today.

As she frets, I loop back to a familiar thought, amazed, yet again, that on any given day I can stroll into a supermarket, a mile from home and buy virtually any type of food. And the magic persists – new food arrives daily, shelves are re-stocked, electricity stays on, freezers remain cool. Day after day, year after year. How is this possible?

When I worked in Washington, DC some years ago my office looked directly onto the runway at National Airport.  I was never a fan of air travel but the experience was life changing. With each passing minute another plane took off, then another landed.  Months rolled by without a hitch and I came to marvel at the miraculous achievement of air travel. (How safe is it? Some 40,000 planes land safely each day – so if you were to fly every day of your life, you would experience one major accident every 19,000 years).

Out of bed each morning, with little notice, we turn a handle and fresh water pours out. Flick a switch and electricity arrives.  Have a health concern or worry? There’s a doctor, and staff, waiting for you at a nearby emergency room. A domestic dispute or urgent smoke alarm? Police and firemen move into action. Is that not amazing?

It’s not as if these systems are run by automatons.  It’s humans – human beings run these systems and, honestly, we’re not the most reliable creatures. We’re emotional, we’re erratic, we’re irascible at times. Yet, when it comes to making things run, making things work, health inspectors inspect, teachers teach, medical professionals save lives. 

It’s all pretty stunning.  And when there is a rare breakdown in the system (e.g., an electricity outage, empty gas pumps, a storm-induced closure at the supermarket), it’s a welcome reminder of how incredibly well systems work.

So the next time you’re browsing in Publix and a favorite food of yours is on vacation, take a moment to reflect.  It’s not simply about appreciating what we have (1.2 billion people lack access to electricity, 780 million lack access to clean water and 2.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation), it’s about marveling at the level of consistency with which systems perform. After all, humans are running the show.

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