A moment of madness

My Business Traveller staple

I would not say I am your typical business traveler but I do like to watch the Business Traveller programme presented by Richard Quest on CNN International.

This morning I noticed the programme was on but without the familiar, jocular and quirky presenter, it then occurred to me that he had not been on the air for quite a while.

In fact, it also highlights the fact that CNN is disappearing from hotel rooms and being replaced by BBC World – times when one could switch between news channels after plunking down on your hotel bed after a long day seems to have passed.

So, I did a quick search on the Internet to find out if Richard Quest was still at CNN, he is, so, why was he not presenting.

A further search revealed something I had missed, sometime in April, Richard was caught violating the Central Park curfew by the police and he volunteered the fact that he had an illegal drug in his pocket.

It also appears that a search of his person and consequently his vehicle revealed kinky paraphernalia but the most significant part of the arrest was that he might face drug charges.

In some ways, I could see why I did not know of this, I am interested in the news and rarely in gossip.

Control is everything

I do not use drugs and that is probably because I am some sort of control freak, I need to know where I am and what I am doing, I am too uncomfortable with situations I cannot control.

I rarely drink and anytime I have felt light on my feet, I immediately arrange to return home – to some people I may have never lived because I have never been drunk, though I have been sick once – and that was at home – and when I woke up with a headache years ago, I had to search the Internet to determine if I had a hangover and how to get the legendary “hair of the dog” cure.

Moments of madness

Anyway, back to Richard, I am saddened that a seeming moment of madness, fantasy or debauched desire for some sort of personal pleasure has lead to a public outing like this.

I am sorry that great men and men of renown have had their reputations brought to naught in situations where they should have been more aware of the possible consequences.

I suppose for some, thrill of the chase and the possibility of getting caught is in itself a means to satisfaction, but what if it all goes awry?

Too many people have allowed these seized moments of madness to become the defining issues of their lives, like filming sex scenes that suddenly get in the wrong hands, taking photographs in compromising situations, engaging in illicit activity with people who have no reputation to keep that they are ready to ruin yours.

Only human

I cannot say I have been the best behaved boy in many circumstances, like many others, we have lives we would prefer to keep private and hopefully we manage those facets of our lives with a sense of discretion and decorum, if possible – human beings have needs and they have weaknesses, not all of us can aspire to be conclusively holier than thou.

I do hope that Richard is able to live through this unfortunate episode and return to the job and role he handles with uniqueness and compelling entertainment – in the end, a man is not made by the problems he faces, but how he faces his problems.

A man should be able to accept who he is in entirety and live life to the full in the personification of who he is without fear and with creative passion – sometimes society makes the most absurd judgments on matters that individuals would tolerate to a greater degree – such is life.