I flew by myself for the first time in 8 years this past weekend. It felt both weird and completely normal. I knew I had fewer people and bags to manage, but I didn’t spend time thinking about why or how it was strange. I was completely in the present. At first. I got in one line after the next basically like a person without a fully functioning brain or heart: line, moving, license, shoes off, grey box, computer out, xray, walk, boxes, rolling, grab. Then I look up, see Starbucks and it starts all over.
On the plane I sat in between two people: fat lady window, skinny man aisle. Both of them had their heads turned, eyes closed. I suspected they were faking but I scooted by the man and tucked myself in to the seat. About three hours in to the flight, the fat lady says “Donny, get me some water” and Donny gets up and does as he is told. Married! They didn’t say another word the entire flight. I turned my head and stared: first at one, then at the other. All the thoughts and opinions that I had so neatly closed away in my head for the purpose of traveling came thunking and clattering out: what is going on here, people? Is it really that bad? Why don’t you sit in different rows? Why don’t you sit next to each other? You might die!?
Suddenly I was traveling with a crowd again. Only they were all inside my head.
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