Airport Life

Have you ever had an exciting experience in an airport? If so, then you will be able to identify with what happened to me recently.

My husband Lon and I were on our way across the country promoting my most recent book "77 Ways Your Family Can Make a Difference." At our first airport, we were sure to arrive early (who knew 10 years ago that we'd someday have to arrive 70 minutes before boarding?!) It takes quite awhile just to get through security. I laughed (to myself) when the security officer opened my husband's carry-on suitcase and found, much to his surprise, a roll brush, a hair straightener, and a makeup bag. I quickly assured the security officer that it was my stuff, I just hadn't been able to fit it into my suitcase. (I'm looking forward to the day when carry-ons can include a suitcase large enough to actually fit something besides a pair of socks!) The security guard nodded and glanced at my husband with his buzz haircut. It was better than the last time in the airport two weeks prior when Lon accidentally dropped my suitcase and my underwear fell out. That was quite embarrassing.

Almost an hour after being in the airport, I glanced up at the board that indicates flight schedules when much to my horror (but not surprise), I realized our plane had been delayed an hour and 15 minutes. Sighing, I returned to my seat and informed Lon of the news. (He didn't believe me - why is it that husbands are so suspicious? He had to get up and verify for himself that I was right :) We would have to do something to busy ourselves for a little bit longer. Lon and I were already bleary-eyed from busy schedules and an early-morning awakening to drive the two hours to the airport. However, trying to sleep at the airport is futile.

I decided to get up and get something to eat. After all, by the time we reached our connecting flight, it would be two hours later. I know my body well enough to know that if I fly on an empty stomach, life for me and the fellow passengers will not be pleasant. (Yep, I'm the girl who was always sick on the merry-go-round in elementary school, but I'll save that story for another time). By the way, why are the barf bags paper instead of plastic?

In line at the pizza counter, I began to laugh to myself when two gentlemen were discussing the delay in the plane's arrival with much confusion. "But the board said the flight would only be 20 minutes late a few minutes ago," insisted the man with the large cowboy hat.

"Well now it's' up to an hour and and 15 minutes," said his comrade, shaking his graying head.

The cowboy hat man shook his head in disbelief. "We won't look at the board again," he said. I think he was afraid that the next time he looked it would say the flight was 6 hours late. I wanted to tell the men that they were actually looking at the wrong flight. The flight they were to board (and I knew this because I had heard them speak of their destination - writers are excellent eavesdroppers) was truly an hour and 15 minutes late and had been for quite awhile. Another flight and the wrong one - but the one they were looking at - was really 20 minutes late. But I didn't get the chance to tell them.

So back at my seat with a large piece of pepperoni pizza, I settled back and watched as Lon changed settings on his cell phone and checked for messages. I love to watch people in the airport because I get excellent ideas for characters for my novels this way. I take a few different characteristics from several different people and wam, I have the perfect main or secondary character. Looking around at the folks in the airport also gives me a chance to pray for them. Nope, I didn't know anyone there, but I could pray for them that whatever they were going through in their lives that God would help them with it. Or better yet, I prayed for their salvation.

Another way to pass time at an airport is to see how many people look like people you know. Together, Lon and I saw about six people who closely resembled people we knew. We tried to guess where they were going and what they were doing. Lon gives himself much less credit than he deserves. He's actually quite creative. I contained myself from drawing carricatures like I had when we were on a Greyhound Bus one time on a VERY long journey due to an emergency airplane landing. I'll tell you that story another time because it's quite comical. But since this is a story about airport life, I'll hold off on life on a bus.

Finally, the time had come when the plane begins boarding. At 1:45 instead of 12:30, Lon and I boarded the plane to our connecting flight. I settled into the seat of the plane, prayed for safe arrival, and marveled at the cottony blanket of clouds below us. All was well until we landed in Chicago for our connecting flight. That's when I glanced down at our flight schedule and realized we had exactly 10 minutes before our next flight left...
to be continued...