So I've done my fair share (and more) of waiting in the airport. I've been stuck in Atlanta for ages and waited for people at airports many many times. I thought about it recently as I waited for my roomie Barrett to fly into the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. This "international airport" has two concourses: A and B. I think something like 8 airlines service the airport. Long story short it's very small but has a big name.Anyway, I was waiting for him and when I wasn't talking on the phone with a friend, thanks Holland and Amber, I noticed the people waiting. They all stood or sat around the tvs that show arrival times. This airport even had the screen with the US map and little planes flying closer and closer to the dot labeled GSP: the airport that we all waited in.
I watched the people read magazines, books, do stuff on their laptops and I noticed that almost like clockwork they would glance up at the screens every 2-3 minutes. Updated information I think was posted every 5-10 minutes. I couldn't help but think how fun it would be to be in charge of the little planes on the screen and make them do crazy loops while their loved ones grabbed their hearts in panic and gasped for air until I made their course right again. (This is what you do in the airport while you wait).
I tried to guess by peoples faces how long it had been since they had last seen the person they were waiting for. I'm pretty sure some of the people had seen their arriving friends/family not so long ago (it was like they were waiting in line for free pens and pencils: no emotion) others were nervous looking- I liked this the best. I made up stories of long lost loves and moms and dads in Iraq being reunited with children, crying and having teddybears with gi-joe outfits and yellow ribbons. Wow, I get teary just making it up.
What I liked most about the airport is that everyone around me was there for the same reason. We were waiting. Waiting on people. People we must like I assumed. Who waits for people they don't like? It made me feel good that those getting off the plane were about to embrace people that waited for them. Thats nice, huh? Next time I get off a plane and people are waiting I'm gonna hug them hard, and try not to cry and thank them for waiting.
Feeling loved is hard to beat, and the airport with it's bad carpeting colors, expensive gum and magazines brought me something great.
1 comment:
very insightful. i never thought about all the people and the care they show by waiting. good blog
Post a Comment