People Watching at the Edge of Elsewhere

As I sit here preparing for my busy day of studying and research revision, I was revisiting all of the time I have spent sitting in airports over the past 8 months. Someone asked me the other day how I have learned to pas the time on such long layovers. It made me stop and think, "wait yeah how have I done that?" Well, airports have a lot to teach us. Airports are full of people from all over the world preparing for new beginnings, or closing old chapters, and there is something really powerful about that.

I have met students moving across the country for school, parents heading to visit their long-lost daughter, families getting ready for the vacation of their dreams, and couples excited for their honeymoon. But I have also met people going home after the opportunity of a lifetime, daughters and sons returning from visiting their beloved parents, and partners who were beginning long-distance for yet another time. But that's just the travelers. 

Airports are also full of pilots who work tirelessly and often spend days away from their families to get us to our destinations. There are flight attendants who keep a smile even when the older gentleman gets angry because he didn't want ice in his Coke. There are gate attendants who rearrange flights to help the family that missed their flight to go on vacation. There are janitors who make sure that the seat you plop down into after finally getting through security is clean and sanitized. There are baristas that make sure your latte has oat milk and the extra cinnamon you requested, even though they are exhausted from arriving at 4am. 

I'm guilty of thinking that my experience in the airport is just about me. My trip. My exhaustion. My excitement. My coffee. My experiences. My destination. My bag. But my extended time in airports over the months have reminded me, it's NOT just about me. The only reason I have gotten to travel to all of these places and have had all of my bags make it on time with me, is because of thousands of other people taking time out of their days to make sure mine goes smoothly. My reason for flying may be exciting and joyful, but I remind myself to remain humbled that it is not the case for everyone. 

You never know what someone's reason for getting on that plane may be. So give a little extra grace to the mama whose baby is screaming. (She just adopted the baby and is flying home for the first time.) Throw out a kind smile to the flight assistant who seems irritated. (She's been flying for three days and missed her son's birthday.) Be open to help when the middle-aged woman asks you how to connect to the seemingly simple airport wifi. (She's in the US for the first time ever and English is her second language.) 

So how have I passed the time on long layovers? Well, I have people watched, and learned to soften my heart. I have recognized that there is so much more to life than getting through security without being stopped. I have made unexpected friends. I have learned about love. But most of all, I have realized that the airport is actually just a concentrated picture of my world. Because guess what? I bet someone on campus could use that same airport grace. I bet someone at your workplace might need some extra encouragement. And I bet even in the four walls of your own home, there might be feelings and emotions going on inside of someone that you have no idea about. We all have our own little airports that we live in each day, so I encourage you to be slower to judge and quick to encourage. Slower to anger, and quicker to understanding. Because when you are the one who receives that extra grace one day, you will be so thankful. 

An airport is more than a transit point. It’s a reflection of life, where journeys begin, paths diverge, and time briefly stands still. What does your airport look like today?

💜M