More Time for Fresh Tacos and Improv Dance
The Gift of TSA PreCheck (and Trust in General)
There was a brief window of time when our family of four bravely navigated the normal airport security lines when traveling to visit family.
Shoes, belts, and watches came off us all. Also, laptops, small toiletries, and our mini-schnauzer were all removed from their respective confines. Finally, we would fold our stroller closed so it could fit on the security belt - a process that inevitably led to assorted cheddar goldfish falling around the feet of TSA agents.
It was all simple enough, but no matter how efficient we tried to be, it always proved to be super stressful. There is something about juggling three, small living beings while unpacking everything we had packed only an hour ago that always proved… a lot.
Inevitably, and after a no small amount of hassle, we would finally make it through security and to the gate where all four of us (and the dog) were fairly frazzled, highly irritable, and sweatier than we’d like to admit.
It’s hardly the way you want to begin a trip.
Our solution?
We applied for and received TSA PreCheck status for all four of us. This would allow us to go into a security line in which we didn’t have to take anything off, we could keep everything in our bags while avoiding the stroller fold, and we were promised the ability to sail through security in under five minutes, on average.
About a year-and-a-half ago we used our TSA PreCheck powers for the first time - and it worked like a charm.
In fact, because of the rapid speed with which we navigated security that morning, we had so much extra time before our flight that we sat down and treated ourselves to a few fresh tacos while enjoying the improv dance show that our youngest provided to the airport.
Are you living your best TSA PreCheck life?
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Of course, the fundamental difference between the regular security line and the TSA PreCheck line is not merely about the difference in length of time or amount of hassle.
The difference is entirely about trust.
People who receive TSA PreCheck status have had a background check done by TSA that allows TSA to trust them at a different level.1
Trust is the singular lubricant that allows for the TSA PreCheck line to move much faster… and it’s true in every facet of life.
Trust is what frees relationships to grow faster, and deeper - and prove far more satisfying.
Trust is what frees teams to do their most collaborative, creative, and exceptional work.
Trust is what frees organizations to grow and thrive even amid hardships, setbacks, and outside challenges.
Trust, too, is the central ingredient for individual growth (for instance, those who trust deeply in God and their God-given gifts - and trust in God’s belief in them(!) - most readily move forward with courage, conviction, and creativity).
Granted, there is a cost.
TSA PreCheck status cost around $80 for each of us (good for five years).
But goodness... if only trust were so cheap in other areas of life.
Developing trust in any relationship, team, or organization Takes. Time.
And consistency.
And doing what we promised to do.
And supporting one another.
And showing up.
And risking trust in others.
The only way to fast-track trust?
My military days remind me that there is one tried and true way to do that: when people experience intense challenges or hardship together, the trust factor is quickly amplified.
Do we then go out searching for ways to make our collective lives miserable so we can board the bullet-fast trust train unto our next greatness?
Hardly. But…
Can you do an outdoor leadership training day where facilitators invite a host of challenges that your team has to navigate and overcome?
Can you and your team develop a truly meaningful, purposeful, and challenging task (and collectively agreed upon timeline) that you will jump into together?
Can you do that for yourself?
Can you and your spouse or child share in a facilitated weekend retreat and/or adventure?
When the coworker or friend sits down to chat, be frustrated, or ask for help… can you take the extra minutes to listen actively? Responsively? Generously?
When the team members accomplish the first part of the task, can you take the time to name your gratitude via a note, a gift, or otherwise?
When you prepare for bed, can you reflect on your day and name your gratitude in prayer?
Trust takes time. Developing it intentionally can sometimes feel like pressing a massive PAUSE button on everything, which then feels like the very opposite of the bullet train we’d love to be riding.
But…
Give trust it’s due and - sooner than you may have thought - you will be sailing past all the long lines of conundrums, headaches, and exhaustion faced by those who live their lives mired in the anxiety of distrust.
Hopefully, though, they’ll catch a glimpse of you and your people enjoying fresh tacos and dancing to Hall & Oates, and it will plant a vision within them to do whatever it takes to know that kind of freedom.
To be sure, I get how TSA PreCheck (and Clear etc) unhelpfully stratifies the security process, and I also get the compelling argument that a lot of our airport security is far more theater than substance.
Consider why we have TSA at all: mistrust. Think of all the cost of time and money we pay for mistrust in our lives: from home security systems to computer passwords to police agencies and militaries.
Trust is the beginning of everything relational with others, with yourself and with God. Well written as always.