6. Connecting Flight
I don't know if you know this, but airports are pretty crowded on Memorial Day weekend. That was certainly the case in Orlando on the day I had to return from the 50 Teachers Celebration at Disney World. On top of that, flights were frequently being delayed that day. After the rush to get to the airport with time to spare, the shuffling through the sausage grinder that is TSA, and finding the correct gate for my flight, I found myself in the longest wait of the week. Then, word came that the tire of the aircraft had been damaged when it landed, so I suppose they had to open up the trunk and take out the spare. This was expected to take some time, and it put many people's connecting flights in jeopardy, including my own transfer to the final flight home from Chicago, Illinois. The folks at the gate didn't seem to be worried for me as they told me the pilot would make up time in the air, and we would arrive 30 minutes before the posted time. I'm not sure how I should feel with the knowledge that our pilot had a lead foot.
As we approached the gate, the flight attendant announced for people who did not have connecting flights to catch to stay in their seats while those of us who needed to run through the airport exited the plane first. The lady beside me, who snored most of the way, was now awake and ready to get off the plane. As we approached the sky bridge, she made a phone call to let somebody know her situation. She did not quietly announce to the party on the other end of her call that she was not going to make it to her next flight. "They told people to stay seated if they don't have another plane to catch, but nobody's doing it." |
Not only was the woman impatient, but she failed to see the courtesy being extended to her by others. She only wanted to believe what she predicted to be the truth. She only wanted to be a victim. She only wanted to see the worst of humanity. But, my friends, none of what she wanted was true in that moment. She just could not bring herself to stop and look around. I hope I never forget the lesson she taught me that night. While I was also ready to run up one concourse and down another (and made it with 15 minutes to spare!), I also appreciated the kindness of others in their yielding to my need. Besides, none of it was anything this lady or I could control. There was no amount of worry, anxiety, or anger that could get the plane to the sky bridge faster, that could make people rush in collecting their carry-on baggage, or that could hold the door open for our next flights.
Why not just take this as one more adventure of life, another experience to chalk up, another story to tell. I don't know why any of the other passengers were flying; some might have been in situations that a delay would be detrimental to their lives or to their families, but for the most part that's not true. We all need to learn how to stop and observe...count our blessings and appreciate the things around us. We all need to be patient and take advantage of the situations and experiences - both positive and negative - that move us through our time on this planet.