The view from 10 000 feet

This fall I met a bakery owner, a large and boisterously bearded man, with a verve for life and an undeniable energy. He told me about an interesting interviewing technique. ‘Baking is quick business’, he told me. Bakers are always on the move, having to juggle multiple trays of croissants, cookies and other goodies. Early morning deadlines mean delays are out of the question. So, to make sure his new pastry chefs can keep up, he would take all potential bakers for a walk, and let the interviewee set the walking pace. If they walked too slow, it was an automatic no. “I only hire fast walkers”, he explained.

            As I fly over the Gulf of Mexico, I have derived another interview question with a rapid rejection response. “When you fly on an airplane, where do you choose to sit and why?” I think that any answer other than ‘at the window seat, to look out’ should earn a good many demerits. I have flown a lot, especially over the last couple of years, and despite the many times I’ve been at 10 000 feet, the view from up here still amazes me. As we left Houston, the clouds were incredible, like giant peaks in a bowl of freshly whipped cream. Ships dotted the water like a life-sized game of battleship. Looking out there now, the wide ocean water stretches out to the horizon, and sets the scene for a new travel adventure.  

           

            I guess a good alternative answer would be ‘in the pilot’s seat’. The view from up there must really be something else.