LEST WE FORGET
I sat
in my seat of the Boeing 767
waiting for everyone to hurry
and stow their carry ons and
grab a seat so we could start
what I was sure to be a long and
uneventful flight home.
With the huge capacity and slow
moving people taking their time
to stuff luggage far too big for
the overhead and never paying
much attention to holding up the
growing line behind them, I
simply shook my head knowing
that this flight was not
starting out very well and
although I had a great bunch of
meetings while conducting
business on this trip, it was
quickly
becoming tarnished with these
delays in my getting home to my
loved one whom I had not seen in
several days.
The meetings although fruitful
were long and I had not slept
well, not to mention those
blasted new dress shoes that
rubbed a blister on my heel. I
was pretty focused on "my"
issues and just felt like
standing up and yelling for some
of these clowns to get their act
together and focus on taking
their seats.
Knowing I couldn't say anything
that would really help, I just
thumbed thru the sky mall widget
magazine from the seat pocket in
front of me.
You know it's really getting
rough when you resort to the
over priced and mostly useless
sky mall crap to break the
monotony and inconvenience of
the trouble "I" was going thru.
With everyone finally on board
and seated, we just sat there
with the cabin door open and
seemingly no one in any hurry to
get us going even though we were
well past our scheduled take off
time.
The paperwork had not yet come
in to the flight deck, the
attendants just stood around
talking.
No wonder the airline industry
is in trouble I said to myself.
Don't they realize we have some
place we are supposed to be? We
should be treated with more
importance, after all we are the
customers, right?
Just then, the attendant came on
the intercom to inform us all
"that we were being
delayed"...as she paused, the
entire plane let out a
collective groan.
She resumed her announcement,
'we are holding the aircraft for
some very special people who are
on their way to the plane and
that the delay should not be
more than five more minutes.
Their connecting flight had
traveled a long way and we would
get underway just as soon as
possible."
Now, I have had this happen to
me before and more often than
not, I had to catch the next
flight or even go to another
carrier to get to my
destination.
Still, I was grateful for the
times when they waited for me,
so I thought that I would go
back to my sky mall pages and
try to forget just how much "I"
was being inconvenienced.
As the word came from a
scrambling attendant down the
connecting tunnel to the main
cabin door I thought that maybe
she had some information that
would let us know why we had
been sitting there for over 30
minutes!!
Had someone finally given word
that after waiting six times as
long as we were first promised
that "I" was finally going to be
on my way home?
Why the hoopla over these folks?
Just get their butts in a seat
and lets hit the gas, I thought
to myself.
After a few minutes we were all
"locked on" when the attendant
came back on the speaker, semi
expecting some celebrity or
sport figure to be announced as
the reason the aircraft was
delayed so long.
I thought who cares, let's go!
She announced in a loud and
excited voice that we were being
joined by several United States
Marines returning home from
Iraq!!!!
Just as they walked onboard the
entire plane erupted into
applause.
The Men were a bit taken by the
surprise of the 340+ people
cheering for them as they
searched for their seats. It
didn't stop, they were having
their hands shook and touched by
almost everyone who was within
an arm's distance of them as
they tried to push thru the
aisles. Whistles, cheering,
an occasional "oorrahh", one
elderly woman kissed the hand of
one of the Marines as he passed
by her, and the applause didn't
stop for a long time as they
continued toward the back of the
aircraft.
When we finally got air born I
am sure I was not the only
civilian checking his conscience
as to the "delays" in me getting
home from my "hard business
meetings", finding my easy chair
and remote, a cold beverage,
and tending to my blister".
In fact I felt pretty stupid as
I am sure many did. After what
these Men had done for all of
us, and I had been complaining
silently about "me" and "my
issues"?
It sure made me realize that as
much as I told myself that I
didn't take for granted some of
the everyday freedoms I enjoy
and the conveniences of the
American way of life and that it
sometimes seems like a personal
attack on one of us when things
don't go exactly right...I was
doing exactly that.
I was taking it for granted.
I took it for granted when
others who had really paid the
price for my ability to moan and
complain (even if it was just to
myself)...let alone a few
minutes delay to me so that
those HEROES could go home to
their loved ones.
I attempted to get my selfish
outlook back in order and
minutes before we landed I
suggested to the attendant, and
she announced over the speaker a
request for everyone to remain
in their seats until our Hero's
were allowed to gather their
things and be first off the
plane.
The cheers and applause
continued until the last Marine
stepped off and we all rose to
go about our too often taken for
granted everyday freedoms....
I felt Proud of Them. I felt it
an Honor and a privilege to be
among the first to welcome them
home and say Thank You for a job
well done.
I vowed that I will never forget
that flight nor the lesson
learned.
I have said it before but I
can't say it enough, THANK YOU
to those VETERANS and ACTIVE
SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN who may
read this, and a prayer everyday
for those who cannot because
they are no longer with us.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.
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