a little more rant than rave.

I am on my way to CT to see my brother and his family for a few days. I’ve been excited for this for ages.. Now, of course, there is the whole process of GETTING there. While I am going to post this after my arrival in CT, know I’m writing during my travel adventures. Baltimore charges for internet. Yea, I’m not doing that. Remarkably, I can still amuse myself WITHOUT the internet.

So I sit down minding my own business watching people, and an older gent three seats down starts talking at me. I’m not sure what possessed him to do so, because I’m certain I’m wearing my standard ‘clenched jaw, angry expression’ that I accidentally wear on occasion. I noticed him when I sat down. He had a headset for his phone that had the one earphone and a microphone that curled around to sit in front of his mouth. Now, I didn’t realize he was talking at me because he was just talking. I tentatively turned to realize that he was turned my way and continued his speal. You might want to know what he’s yammering on about. It was more about peoples paranoia about flying. People used to be able to go TO the gate, without a ticket. How people used to be happy to go to the airport, and now people walk around paranoid that someone might have a bomb or something because of 9/11. There may have been a moment of the uselessness of security and how it ruins the experience.

I’m looking around at these same people and I don’t see fear in their faces. I see boredom. It’s been 10+ years since they started this whole security thing, people are (or should be) used to the whole deal. Kids are still excited about the massive planes and people walk passively by, sometimes rushing, to their gates. I try to tell him this and he disregards my words and continues on his one sided conversation. Although he did let me interject when I told him I KNOW how it used to be. Then came my favorite, you can’t be that old.. No, you’re right. I’m a child. He eventually went away leaving me alone with my thoughts and my computer.

Here’s actually what I think. Peoples passivity in walking past is more so forgetting the wonder that is flight. I forget. I went to sleep on the plane today and woke up on the other side of the country. THAT’S INSANE! This comes to mind more because a box-headed man laid out some of his irritation with Southwest in regard to their way of handling seating. ‘If you don’t pay the 10 bucks to check-in online early, you get crap seating.’ Hmm. That may be the case but if you REALLY have a problem with Southwest, don’t fly through them. There are still plenty of options. Including those that charge for luggage.  I’m obviously looking at life with the glass half full at the moment, because I’ve had my own frustrations with flying. But what other time could you go and sit in a large metal contraption and a few hours later be thousands of miles from where you started. Besides in stories. Our reality is another times science fiction. Ha, what a notion. Talking into plastic and talking to someone on the other side of the globe. Crazy notion… Leaving one morning from Washington state and ending up that evening in Connecticut.

And ARRIVED! Yehess!