Its Wednesday and for the first time, I have resorted to posting at work. Risky business. Probably the first and the last time, but I feel like I should get some thought on paper(online?…internet has destroyed common phrases) while I am feeling pensive and quasi-philosophical.
So I was on a plane Monday night coming back from Texas after seeing my cousins graduation. I killed three birds with one stone though with that trip. His graduation was important and good to see, I got a break from the norm in DC, and I got to see my family, mom and sister to be specific. The flight was delayed due to the nasty thunderstorms that seem to wreak havoc on the midwest daily recently. I managed to get on an earlier flight standby which was a huge relief and quite significant in retrospect. I was in the second to last row by the window. I shared my two seat row with an old man who clearly hasn’t flown in a few years. He had his bose noise cancelling $500 headphones connected to his 80 gb ipod video, a book (didn’t catch which one, probably something real trendy), and refused to share the armrest. Since this row was a bulkhead seat, my tray table was in the armrest that he hogged. I had to nudge him twice to get it out. Normally I wouldn’t use it, but normally airlines don’t give you the can of soda along the with small cup that can barely hold anything to begin with, but they did qualifying my need of the armrest. So as I pull the tray out and unfold it, I see a huge flash of light outside my window. You would have though a photographer was on the wing taking pictures. I waited a second and sure enough, I was on the topside of a thunderstorm. I saw lightning and thunder from the top. If you have ever seen this, maybe you can relate to what I was seeing. It was truly spectacular, remarkable, and for maybe the 3rd time in my life, I was in complete awe of something completely natural (#1 was the Grand Canyon, #2 was an underwater experience at 70 below the surface(1 and 2 would have been girls, but for the sake of my tone and goal of this post, we’ll stick to Mother Nature…but if you are curious as to what girls, and you are a girl, trust me, you are number 1 *wink* and Carrie Underwood is number 2)). My thoughts were somewhat mixed. How could something so magnificent and beautiful be so relentless and destructive? After a few minutes of it, I realized that is a pretty common thing in life. It all depends on perspective. Below the clouds, you take cover and hope that the storm is over fast. Above it, you are safe and it allows you to witness the beauty and power of Mother Nature. I will let you draw your own inspirational conclusions from that, but for me, its an affirmation of a basic tool of attitude and life skill, perspective.
I don’t endorse flying into thunderstorms intentionally, but if you happen to be on a flight that flies over it, be sure watch out the window.
Airports are hands down the single best place to people watch. Especially in Texas. Lots of midwest flights connect there, that being said, a lady, who looked, acted, and talked just like Roseanne, decided that I would be her conversation while we waited on our plane. She was from Oklahoma, headed to DC for the week. I wish I could have recorded the conversation, but it went something like this.
Her: This weather sure does f*%$ up airports don’t it.
Me: Yeah, probably better though, tornados and airplanes don’t play well together
Her: (Hearty laugh) I reckon you’re about right.
Me: Better late than never, right?
Her: Hell, I’d chance it if I could get there quick, I got a ride waiting on me.
Me: (Thought: Its people like this that warrant agencies like the FAA, because common sense tells you not to fly in horrible weather…) Would be risk…
Her: (interruptingly) My whole life is risky, its my fuel for life.
Me: I gotta go to the bathroom, bye.
Priceless. A gem in the rough that is Oklahoma.
Anyway, hopefully that lightened the post a little bit. Til next time…
i am always entertained by your posts. i like to read about your life on here.
hope you are well
Hey, you need to post again – I check in every week or so and it’s getting monotonous. Us married guys gotta live vicarously through the net you know.