As I flew home from D.C. last night, I thought about the wasted anxiety I experienced Tuesday night when I realized that I did not log into Southwest Airlines for my boarding pass for Wednesday’s flight in a timely fashion. There is something about the “C” boarding group classification that indicates your immediate future is left to chance. Okay, I’ll modify that by saying you know your chances aren’t good.
That’s not to say I can’t adapt and be pleasant. After all, it is a gift to be on the plane even though the only seats available when you board are between two other passengers already seated.
It’s not that I’m immobilized by decision-making. Last night when I boarded, I passed up any number of available middle seats because there was absolutely no luggage space in the overhead bin above them. I didn’t need much space; just enough to store by bi-pap machine. I always place my backpack containing my computer under the seat in front of me. Seriously, a six-inch wide space would do it, but row after row the overhead compartments were already shut indicating nothing else could be stuffed inside.
So what do you do if you get to the back of the plane and nothing is available? That was the question rolling around inside my head. There was no way that both my backpack and bi-pap machine would fit under a seat together. At least I thought that was true. Was I going to learn differently?
Fortunately I didn’t find out. To my left was an open bin with just enough space to slide my bi-pap machine inside. Like I said, I had already passed at least a dozen open middle seats that I would have taken had I not needed the overhead compartment.
As they say, there was no turning back. I couldn’t turn back because there were other “C” boarding group stragglers behind me. My seat was in front of me somewhere. I guess you could say that I lucked out. There were two ladies seated on the row that I took. I asked permission to sit with them if I promised not to misbehave.
As it turned out, the ladies were friends flying together, but each was smart enough not to want the middle seat. Consequently, cross conversation was coming my direction from both sides long before the cabin lights were dimmed and the plane began to move.
The lady next to the window dropped something that apparently rolled toward the seat behind her. The next thing I know, she is seated on the floor of the plane looking for the object. That is certainly outside my skillset. My body is not nearly flexible enough to do that.
Her friend questioned her need to be sitting in the floor in recovery mode. Leave it to my to put in my two-cents worth. I asked if her behavior was patterned behavior or if this was something new. She assured me that nothing should come as a surprise.
As it turned out, both ladies proved to be delightful. Though the one to my left dozed part of the way home. I learned that Amber Mitchell, the lady seated on my left is a nurse. She is a graduate of McNeil High School in Austin and the University of Texas. She is passionate about her work. She is also on the board of a Texas organization advocating for more resources for smaller hospitals. Reportedly, the staff and doctors are more content in those settings and the patients receive more individualized care.
Amber was on Capitol Hill Monday through Wednesday by invitation. She was privileged to meet with a host of legislators. She showed me her picture with Congressman Pete Sessions from Waco. Consequently, it shouldn’t surprise you that I asked permission to use the picture for today’s blog.
Amber’s husband was unable to accompany her to D.C., so she invited her best friend. I apologize, but the name excapes me. The friend is a forensic scientist. Both ladies fall into the gifted and talented category. Obviously, the only dull person seated on that roll was the guy in the middle seat.
All My Best!
Don
Carpe Diem 