...Can I Help You With That?

listening to:

"Breathless" by Better than Ezra

So recently I was sitting in the airport traveling across the country (shocker, huh?) After a hellacious week of house hunting in Washington D.C. I found myself heading back to Oklahoma once again.

So it's 5 a.m. & I am not exactly a morning person. As a matter of fact, the only happy thing about 5 a.m. is the fact that I am usually crawling INTO bed at that time of the morning :-/. So my dad drops me off, I have this huge ordeal trying to check in. By the way who ever thought allowing people to attempt to check in at that time of the day all by themselves ought to be shot. Orderly and responsible? Puhhh-lease!

As I finally get my boarding pass and start to walk toward security a guy stops me and asks me where my baggage is. "I don't have any" I say. What does he say in response you ask? He laughs. LAUGHS! This guy is laughing like I just grew body parts and changed my name to Dane Cook. Then he opens his mouth again and says, "No..I know your type..there's no way that's all you are bringing on the plane!" .... When did I suddenly become a type?! :( And why wasn't I informed?! After I begrudgingly make my way past Mr. Stereotype I grumble my way through security mentally shooting people daggers along the way.

I find my gate, and take a seat. Sweet, my favorite part about airports..people watching! =) Except...at 5 a.m. even the airport is dead, can't a girl catch a break? I sit in boredom for awhile with no one of interest to watch and decide to get a drink. Chai Tea Latte please!! As I nurse my hot cup of lifeline at the magazine rack, my obviously very important task is interrupted. "Shawwty is that hot?" You've got to be kidding me. "Shawty I'm talkin' to you.." I peer to my left. There stands a guy in his South Pole tee and pants at his ankles. Cocky look and pose? Check. Boxers hanging out? Check. Standing in my bubble? Did you even doubt it for a second? Bad Karma! Ughh. This is because I squashed that spider in my room last night isn't it? By the grace of whatever if you will just make him disappear I swear, I'll never squash another spider again! Suddenly over the intercom, "Now boarding flight 1535 to Nashville." Whew, saved by the unnaturally perky voice from above.

I line up as do the rest of the prospective passengers. Suddenly from behind me I hear a little chuckle. Yup, got to be the spider. Or maybe the piece of gum that I left on the ground outside the Lincoln Memorial. My recall session is interrupted by the lady at the front telling us that there has been a slight hitch and we will have to walk down three flights of stairs and across the tarmac to get to our plane. No biggie. As they allow boarding group A to go I notice a very elderly woman approach the stairs nervously with her rolling carry on. Next thing I know my new shadow is brushing past me. "Ma'am, can I help you with that? That bag looks like trouble."

In that moment it hit me. When did I get so jaded?

My momma always told me not to judge a book by it's cover. How did I fall this far? I feel so... judgemental. That's about the nicest thing I can say about myself at the moment. Maybe it's the society we live in, maybe it's the industry I work in, maybe...maybe I should just quit trying to make excuses. Just like the guy at baggage check, that had offended me with his assumptions... I had successfully been just as terrible!

Well, we all know how the universe has it's own ways of setting itself straight. Who did I wind up sitting next to on the flight? You guessed it. I had flight filled with discovery, beneath his "gangsta" cover he had the pages of a momma's boy studying religion in college.

So I challenge you dear reader, think about the last time you saw a stranger. Be it at the gas station, grocery store...maybe on the other end of the phone. Maybe they treated you poorly, maybe you thought poorly of them? Did you jump to a conclusion about them too?

Oh, and thank you Mr. Baggy Pants from Anacostia...you readjusted my perspective. =)

Signing out,

Your Friendlier Free Spirit.