It was May 19th. I was onboard a flight to Heathrow, sat in my seat, eagerly awaiting the flight waiting for me in England, one which would bring me home after nearly 5 months away. We still had not gone toward the runway and already at the point in time when we should have landed. Me, I was freaking out as usual. Layovers give me an awful bout of nerves. I get restless and concerned and my heartbeat feels all wonky and even the slightest delay off schedule is a moment of high concern. So a full hour delay? That's a damn catastrophe.
When I say catastrophe, I know it isn't really. But it sure feels like the end of the world. I don't really know why it seems so important in the moment, or why I sometimes still complain about it. But that day was already a long day and it was only noon.
I hadn't slept the night before and that hadn't helped the situation. So when the pilot informs us we will be clear to arrive at Heathrow in approximately two hours, mere minutes before the gate for my flight home would close, I was a mess of tears and panic and everyone around me looked like I was a bomb ready to go off, unsure if they should do something or if that would only make the explosion come sooner.
Once the flight landed and I was just about done with tears, I had to wait in a 4+ hour long line to be told that no other flights would be leaving, and that though the storm that delayed my incoming flight was still there, it didn't delay any of the several outgoing flights to Los Angeles that day, and I would have to take a flight in the morning. But after wallowing in misery and watching as customers yelled, some for a full hour, at the counter attendants, I couldn't help but try and be nice.
They say you catch more flies with honey. And it's true. Sometimes it's sweet for the trapper too I guess.
When I say catastrophe, I know it isn't really. But it sure feels like the end of the world. I don't really know why it seems so important in the moment, or why I sometimes still complain about it. But that day was already a long day and it was only noon.
I hadn't slept the night before and that hadn't helped the situation. So when the pilot informs us we will be clear to arrive at Heathrow in approximately two hours, mere minutes before the gate for my flight home would close, I was a mess of tears and panic and everyone around me looked like I was a bomb ready to go off, unsure if they should do something or if that would only make the explosion come sooner.
Once the flight landed and I was just about done with tears, I had to wait in a 4+ hour long line to be told that no other flights would be leaving, and that though the storm that delayed my incoming flight was still there, it didn't delay any of the several outgoing flights to Los Angeles that day, and I would have to take a flight in the morning. But after wallowing in misery and watching as customers yelled, some for a full hour, at the counter attendants, I couldn't help but try and be nice.
They say you catch more flies with honey. And it's true. Sometimes it's sweet for the trapper too I guess.
I thought this reader response was interesting because we have all had our fair share of airport nightmares, haha! I know I definitely have. I appreciated your last line, "they say you catch more flies with honey," because it really is true. If you're just nice to people it's more difficult for them to be mean back, haha! P.S you're like one of the sweetest people I've ever met at Chapman and P.P.S thanks for letting me use your sweater the other day (:
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