Its 3 a.m. Florida time. I'm resting on the infamous guest bed whose huge bar is slowly making an indentation in my back. It's relatively quiet and all I can hear is the occasional screech of a tropical bird and the sounds of cars whizzing by. Although the breeze off the lake is refreshing. My brother Bruce and I are staying in my mother's apartment in one of Florida's many gated communities.
We decided to visit my mother during the presidents week vacation to get out of the New York cold. It's not often that my two jobs align that I have some free time to travel, but I'm glad I did. When I left New York the weather was 15 degrees, and I was worried the pipes in my house would break. When I arrived in Florida, the weather was 75 degrees. Quite a contrast. The trip there however was not without incident.
Next time, I won't travel on a holiday. I'll try to leave on the first flight to avoid the crowds, and maybe leave during the week. Also, if the airline asks do you want expedited security and extra legroom? It's always worth the extra money. Trust me. Oh, and sitting in the back of the plane while closer to the bathroom makes getting out a hardship.
JFK airport was a zoo at ten in the morning on the day I left, and getting to the gate seemed to take forever. Things only got worse when I got on the plane. I noticed it was full of children and their families. That was my first red flag. Then, one of the parents asked me if I would be willing to give up my seat so she could be with her kids. Now, I usually consider myself to be a pretty helpful person and doing mitzvahs (good deeds) is my thing. However, this time I wish I hadn't been so nice.
Really what I should have done is waited to see who would be sitting next to me, because the man who sat in the middle seat really should have purchased two seats. He reminded me of a Caucasian sumo wrestler with a large walrus-style mustache. He had more in common with the walrus than he might think. Not only was he extremely fat, but he kept coughing on me. The plane was completely full and I felt trapped. He also decided to open a large notebook and do work during the flight further restricting my available space.
I also forgot to bring my headphones so I heard everything on the plane which unfortunately for me also included a newborn baby sitting directly in front of me. How the airlines allow babies to sit on a plane without a seat baffles me. They won't allow a woman in her third trimester to fly, but a newborn, no problem. It also seemed apparent that the baby should have had their diaper changed more frequently as well.
Anyway, walrus-guy kept coughing, the baby keep crying, and I tried to rest any way I could. What angered me the most is that the dad who asked me to change seats, ended up sitting a row back sleeping with his headphones on, away from any discomfort. Having some turbulence didn't help either. I was filled with so much anger I felt like punching both of them right in the face, but after a few diaphragmatic breaths I was able to relax.
Thank God though the flight landed safely. However, when we were getting ready to disembark, the mother who I tried to help ended up hitting me in the head with one of her bags.
"Oh, I'm so sorry." She said apologetically.
"Just par for the course." I answered with a growl.
I looked down the narrow exit row of our airbus plane expectantly and kept saying to myself, "Let's go already."
Because we were very slow to deplane I ended up helping walrus-guy by getting his coat from the overhead rack. Like God, I often think I am slow to anger and quick to forgive.
Finally, the moment arrived and I left the plane with a sigh of relief, and walked into the sunshine state. Which they say can cure a lot of things, hopefully stress as well.
Life Lesson: It's often been said that no good deed goes unrewarded. I would add that good deeds are important, but don't expect a reward. In fact, expect the worst, and when all else fails, smile, shake your head no, and think of yourself first.
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