On airports

While traveling back from Washington recently I was reminded of what remarkable places airports are. Let me explain. After a couple days of business in DC I was anxious to get home in time for the big game. I arrived at Dulles in plenty of time for my flight, checked in at a United self-service kiosk, and quickly headed for the security checkpoint. Roller and computer bags in hand, I turned a corner and ran into a sea of people waiting to get through security. 4 lanes wide, the lines weaved back and forth for what seemed like eternity. Disney would have been jealous.

I was in for at least an hour of hell. I was being herded into a long queue like cattle, creeping along at a snail’s pace, no control over how slow the ID checkers were, and stuck alone in a mob of strangers all trapped in the same fate.

All very true, except for the hell part. Actually, it was an hour in heaven, a gift unexpectedly given to me by God. An hour so filled with wonder and magic that I had to share it with you. I will not do it justice in describing this gift but here is my feeble try.

My pulse is up from dashing through ticketing and when I get a glimpse at the security line my anxiety level jumps to match my heart rate. As a seasoned traveler, I do a quick calculation in my head at the odds of making my flight. It doesn’t look good. I pop my headphones in and turn on my iPod. Maybe the music will make the line go faster. I notice a young family of 4, their dress tells me they're foreigners, probably returning home from a vacation based on the new rag doll the little girl clings to and the clean baseball cap worn by the boy. A calm comes over me as they remind me of my own family and the vacations we’ve been fortunate enough to have, especially when they were young like these 2 little ones. I turn down my music to eavesdrop on their conversation, and even though it’s in their native tongue and I can’t understand a word, I get the gist of it from their playfully interaction.

The line I’m in merges with the one to my right and I see 2 business men, from the UK by their accents, graciously let a large group merge ahead of them. I find their smiles contagious as they joke with one another, seemingly oblivious to the wait. I put my iPod away and start paying more attention to those around me. I notice an expectant young woman, just outside the security lines, talking to 2 men in the line next to me. I suspect they are brothers by their similar build and features. One is obviously her husband because every time the line snakes near the outside edge of the queue, they smooch and hug and giggle together. One such time I find myself right there between them, she reaching over from the farewell area and he from the line inside mine. She is rather loud and animated, somewhat sad but happy too. I first feel like I am intruding on a private moment, but soon feel more like I am sharing this special minute with them. Another foreign language, but their faces speak volumes, hers especially. Her eyes remind me of my wife's, not by color or shape or size, but with that I-can’t-wait-till-you-return look. I know that look. For an instant, but what seems forever, I am transfixed by their loving exchange. They, like so many others in this very public and noisy place, are sharing a very private and personal moment, and in so doing enriching my life as well.

Because the 4 lines u-turn back and forth and move at different speeds, every few steps I take results in new neighbors and more delicacies for my senses. I no longer glance at the clock and don’t mind at all that my line seems to be moving slower than the others. A woman in military fatigues occasionally waves to a small group outside the security lines, most likely her parents and sibs. She’s quietly crying, but trying to be strong at the same time, and the lady she’s waving to has a hanky in her hand. She’s out of earshot, but I can see a few strangers around her offer comfort. Somehow, I feel comforted too. A young man towards the front of my line compliments the security guard checking IDs on the fine job she is doing. It’s undoubtedly a very stressful and thankless job, and I can see her literally straighten up as his kind words lift a big load of stress off this woman’s shoulders. And as a big smile comes to her face I can feel my stress being lifted too. This is a truly amazing experience, to have a total stranger, with his back to me and talking to another stranger, lift my spirit that way.

And so it went for over an hour, miracle after miracle, gift after gift, given to me unknowingly but openly by total strangers, in a loud and crowded airport, on a cold and blustery day outside of Washington DC. These people, all nameless, came to that place on that day to lift my heart and my spirit, to enrich my life while asking nothing in return, to bear a gift from God to me. God is wonderful, God is great. And, yes, airports are remarkable places.

PS. I made my flight and was home in time for the game.