Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Every Traveler Has a Story....

As I travel from Duluth to Chicago and eventually to the home of Vanilla Ice's, A-1-A Beachfront Ave, I am thoroughly enjoying people watching.  Everyone has a story that I wish I could hear about, but not everyone takes kindly to "Minnesota Nice". The middle aged woman sporting her STAR WARS T-shirt for example.  ?? Is she going to a Star Wars reunion or simply following common midwest dress code of graphic tees?  Just look at the man wearing the ginormous straw hat in the O'Hare airport; where could he be going or coming from to need that accessory?  Everyone wears earbuds as a bold yet quiet statement that gently reminds me, "I don't want to talk to you". 
My seat mate sported his "Lake Superior Skydivers" sweatshirt but there was no chance of small talk with this guy as he quickly told me, "don't bug me, I'm going to try to get some sleep"... HA! A little birdie must've told him I was a Chatty Cathy!  So I complied but fell asleep....(gasp) on his arm!  Oopsie....

There is a saying that goes something like, "be nice to everyone you meet as you don't know the battle they are going through." What a powerful reminder.  Especially when the guy ahead of you in line at Starbucks drops his briefcase and the contents spill like a box of Legos or the woman who can't get her mobile boarding pass to work and slows the boarding process and don't forget the passenger who insists on saving $25 on checked bag fees and wrestles their bag into the overhead compartment like shoving a marshmallow in a piggy bank!

Are you a people watcher too?  If so, I hope this is a gentle reminder to you that we are all on a journey to somewhere and as you pack your bags, don't forget your compassion and a sense of humor; trust me, you're going to need it!  Wheels up - here we go!