Filed under: Life
Going back a few days again. Thursday night, Mom and Dad dropped us off in front of the skycap at the airport and wished me happy birthday again (it was my 49th) and hugged us goodbye. The guy was weighing someone’s oversized skis, but he told us he couldn’t take our bags, we had to check those in inside. I guess because ours were the standard sizes? I didn’t hear why. Okay, whatever. He let me sit inside his little heated booth while we waited for a wheelchair for me: airports and I aren’t on walking terms. It was snowingly cold out there, and I was grateful for his kindness.
Then as we were gathering our things up and putting our shoes back on at security, my cousin Amy, whom I had not seen for seven years, happened to step into view right there right then, on her way to being picked up by her daughter. AMY! Hugs and thrills at seeing each other. Out of all the places in the whole airport, and perfect timing, too… Hey, Lisa Souza, I gave her the Pacific scarf I made whose picture you put on your lisaknit.com website–it was perfect for her.
And then, as we waited at our gate, the plane we were to get on in a moment landed, its passengers disembarked, and two friends of ours, Christina and Kathryn, stepped off it together. Quite the surprise and delight all around. It is so mindblowing and so wonderful when you run into someone you know while travelling: out of all the physical space in the whole planet they could be occupying, and there they and you somehow are. And to have it happen twice in a half hour!
Now, when you fly Jetblue, you pick your seats when you book the flight, and when I did, all the seats close to the front were taken, as were most of the rest. We were assigned to be over the wing. But you can change your booking to an open spot online anytime up to check-in, and I guess someone did, or else they cancelled their tickets, because when we checked in those bags inside as the skycap told us we had to, the clerk looked at Richard’s 6’8″ height and my wheelchair and asked if we would like to be moved up to row 3 where there was more legroom and it would be easier for me. Well *yeah*!
And so it was that we were not over the wing after all. And so it was that I was seated where I could see out. And so it was that I was seated on the side where I would see that second jet–and did. And so it was that the writer on that flight, at least the one I know about, wrote about what that pilot did, and, today, printed it out and mailed it to Jetblue customer service to honor a good man’s heroic actions, hoping they would pass it on to him. And acknowledged to him on the scene what he so much needed to have be said that night.
I don’t know who cancelled their 3 E and F seats, but whoever you are, my thanks to you, too.
Sometimes all you can do is stand back and be wowed by the careful choreography of a quiet God doing good in the background.
5 Comments so far
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Did I miss a Jetblue media story – what was the heroic action?
That must have been great to have bumped into people you have not seen in a while. Airports are the happiest and saddest places in the world to me – like hospitals!
Comment by Amanda 12.16.07 @ 6:45 amHope your trip this time is uneventful and safe! I hope you enjoyed your,brief, but happy reunion at the boarding gate!
Comment by Danielle from SW Missouri 12.16.07 @ 9:37 amAlison,
I love hearing how things work out for you, that’s wonderful! That story about your last flight gave me chills down my spine! That wasn’t your day, lucky for all of us who know what a great person you are. And Happy Birthday!
What an impressive concatenation of events! Jsut goes to show you, though, sometimes its the little things and sometimes it’s the big things that matter. Which depends on where you are sitting!
Comment by carol 12.19.07 @ 8:36 amLeave a comment
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