Holiday Cheer — At the Airport?!?
Posted by Trippp on December 28, 2007 in Travel
Like so many consultants, I spend a good 2-5 hours in the airports each week. Tack on the holiday rush, holiday weather, crabby kids all around you, delays…well, you get the picture, it can really bring a person to their knees. For example last week when pushing out from the gate, the ground was so icy, that it took an extra hour to get enough trucks around and people to pack sand under the tires of the trucks just to get us away from the gate. I mean, it’s an airport, you would think that they would have heated areas so that the gate area would stay ice free. Little things like that can push you over the edge if you let them. But don’t you let them!
It’s the holidays, and you can’t let every little thing set you off! Like Forrest Gump said…”life’s a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” I have found that there are some nice ways to get through the season, and even feel good about it. Here’s just a couple of nice things that I’ve experienced this year that made me smile, or even made me feel like I was making someone else’s experience better!
1) Carolers: I’m usually head down, walking like I have a purpose when going through the airport. Around this time of year, however, there’s often people in the airport singing and trying to spread joy. LET THEM! Take a minute and enjoy the people singing praise to their faith, and watch the people around you. I had two experiences this year that I really enjoyed. One was a group of Christmas Carolers that were dressed in festive garb and obviously had practiced their craft, listening to them, you could tell that they loved what they were doing, and you could tell that they appreciated that the people around them took the time to stand and listen. Another time, I stumbled across a group of Chassidic Jews singing Hanukkah songs, playing guitar and basically having a great time. Their exuberance was definately contageous. Taking the time to enjoy this can really help to remove you from where you are, and bring you to a happier place.
2) Helping: With the number of people flying these days, and not checking bags, it’s often hard to find overhead space. Not to mention that bags can be heavy! There are always people that you see having trouble getting their bag in the overhead. You’ll find that getting up and assisting them, or even taking your computer bag and coat out of the overhead, and putting it under your seat will make them very appreciative, and it’ll make you feel good too. Think of how much you hate it when you have to check your bag, why force someone else to, if you don’t have to.
3) Sharing: This is a really hard one for people to stomach, but it’s one of the nicest things you can do. When you fly as much as many of us do, you tend to book your seat well in advance, grabbing your favorite seat. Those people that are going on vacation, and don’t travel much, end up getting the middle seat which is no fun, especially if you’re travelling with someone else and they’re in a different row. Offering up your seat on the plane so that families/friends can sit together might make your trip a little less comfortable, it’s a really nice thing to do (I’m not saying to give up your aisle for a middle seat on a 6 hour flight, but if you’re on a short leg of a trip, suck it up…if only during the holidays).
4) Thanking: Nobody wants to work during the holidays, nobody wants to be away from thier families and friends, but the flight attendants need to do this as much as we do, if not more. A simple thanks for helping you out through the year is often very warmly accepted by these people. Especially since most people on the plane will be crabby and giving the flight attendants a hard time.
All of these things takes almost no effort on any of our parts, and it can really make you feel like you did something nice for someone else, or for yourself. Be patient, let someone into that mob of a boarding line in front of you. Smile, it’s contageous! You’ll be home soon, and you’ll have the rest of the year to rush around not paying attention to those around you. Once a year, step out of the usual mold. You may be suprised at how good it makes you feel!
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