I recently hopped on a ✈️ flight that started off interesting and continued that way for the duration. Boarding the flight required walking onto the tarmac and entering the plane by climbing up a moveable metal staircase through the cabin door. Kinda 🥳 fun, kinda 😳 strange. I wondered how this airport works when passengers traipse through 🌧 rain or ❄️ snow to board.
The flight lasted about two-and-a-half hours. If you haven’t been on a ✈️ plane recently, the seats are smaller and closer than the last time you flew. Guaranteed! I’m not sure they can pack any more people on planes. 😬 Needless to say, the people sharing your row become seriously important. ❗️My fellow traveler was a quiet guy with earbuds. 👍🏻 He offered a warm smile, but I was relieved that I wouldn’t be expected to be chatty. I had downloaded a show and a 📒 book to fill my time.
Across the aisle were an older woman and a younger man. They struck up a conversation before the plane even taxied to the runway, and I was secretly glad that I didn’t get stuck next to either one. 😂 That’s not how they saw it, though. They quickly settled into an exchange that lasted the entire flight. I kept thinking they’d stop to read or have a snack, but they talked the whole time. ⏰
Because of their close proximity to my seat, I couldn’t help but hear every word. They weren’t speaking in loud tones, simply loud enough to hear each other over the noises of the flight. ✈️ Planes just don’t offer much space for private conversations.
At first, I was uninterested in their talk. It was background noise as I read my book. I noticed something about their discussion, though. They had wildly opposing views. The incredible part? They didn’t shy away from that fact. They seemed to embrace it. 🤩 They discussed every hot-button political issue, jumping right into their differing positions on abortion, gun control, climate change, and the border. You name it, they talked about it. Talked, not argued. Talked and listened. 🫶🏻
That conversation was inspiring. 🙌 As they explained their viewpoints, it was an exchange of ideas rather than attacks on one another. They asked thoughtful 🤔 questions and really listened to understand the answers. They found commonalities and places where they agreed to disagree. The older woman expressed interest in the young man’s life. He inquired about her experiences throughout the years.
It was an easy give-and-take as they rambled through the changing topics. They weren’t offended by opposing ideas. They were genuinely curious about them. Neither tried to persuade the other to change. It was simply a considerate sharing of information. They felt comfortable enough to say when they agreed and explain the points that didn’t line up, never with a condescending attitude but from an attempt to understand better.
I heard each admit to something they didn’t know about but wanted to learn. They talked about things that all people need in life. They spoke about ❤️ love and 😍 hope and dreams. They shared what success meant for them.
Those two with the wildly opposing ↔️ views made me remember that there are people who don’t live in the noise. There are those who still care to know and learn and seek to understand one another.
It could have been an ugly ✈️ plane ride sitting near two people with strong opinions on different sides of the literal and figurative aisle. Instead, eavesdropping on their conversation taught everyone on that plane who could hear them a fundamental lesson about respect. 💖
sharing the stairs 