I’m sure just about everyone in America has heard the governor of South Carolina disappeared last week leaving his staff, security detail, and family unsure of exactly where he was. It’s been pretty big news, because it’s weird for someone in a position of power and authority to just take off without word to anyone. I don’t begrudge anyone a vacation or some time away for themselves when they need to unwind, but imagine if Lin or his boss just took off without telling anyone where they are going. They only run a small company, but I can tell you there would be some mayhem at some point. Imagine your own boss just leaving for a week without putting anyone in charge while s/he was gone. It would probably cause some problems. A governor is responsible for so much more than a business owner or boss, and I have to think it’s unwise for one to just leave without putting things in order first.

The initial story was that no one knew where he was. Then he was supposedly hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Now it turns out he had actually flown to Argentina. Taking off without word? Stupid. Hiking the Appalachian Trail without telling anyone that’s where he was going? Incredibly stupid. Leaving the country without doing the necessary paperwork to put the Lt. Governor in charge? Hope it isn’t true he was thinking of running for President, because what he did was beyond incredibly stupid. It was completely irresponsible, and I suspect it might be a career killer.

I don’t get to just take off to some location without making sure things are in order and people know where I am going. Lin can’t just walk away from his job whenever he likes, even during the slow season, without letting someone know and having some method of contacting him. I don’t really know anyone in any position in which people depend on them who can just wander off for some “me time” without putting things in order before leaving. I would hope the governor of a state could show themselves to be as responsible as every other boss in the country, seeing as they really have far more responsibilities than the rest of us.

I still can’t help but think there is much more to this story. While neither Lin nor I would just take off without word to the other about where we were going, and call at least once while we were gone, I won’t judge them for that. Maybe it’s the way they run their relationship. But when I hear the wife of a public figure saying things like “I am being a mom today. I have not heard from my husband. I am taking care of my children” … well, in woman-speak that comes across to me as a somewhat angry statement. So yes, I suspect there is much, much more to this story and that Governor Sanford might be in a little hot water not just at the office but at home too.