As you may know, I’ve been traveling a lot lately. I spend a lot of time in Atlanta, Dallas and Seattle.
Tomorrow at 6 a.m., I head to the airport to go to Willie Crawford’s Birthday Bash in Orlando. (I hope to see you there 🙂
And if you’ve heard me talk, or read enough of my writings, you know that I’ll pretty quickly get around to the spiritual side of things. I truly believe that we attract what we get and create much of our lives by the way we live, what we believe and the actions we take.
So…I need your help. In my travels this week, something happened that I just can’t figure out. I told this story to my friend Martin Sabel (Mr. Eldercare) today and he said, “Okay, Dave – what’s the positive thing that comes from this?”
I don’t know. I’m not sure I have to know. But it sure is puzzling.
There’s nothing for sell here. This is just an experience that I can’t figure out.
This week, I flew to Seattle on Monday. When I booked the ticket, the flight was nearly full and only middle seats in the back of the plane were open.
I couldn’t do it. So, for the second time in life, I took the plunge and upgraded to First Class. It cost me 30,000 points and $150, but I was sure it was worth it.
The flight out was great. I got a lot of work done in my spacious seat and really enjoyed the warm nuts and the grilled chicken salad I had for lunch. (And I tried not to think about the $150 meal…)
On the return, it was the worst flight experience I’ve ever had.
Still in First Class, I checked in at the airport about 5 p.m. PT to sit in a WI-FI area and work until 11:30 p.m. when my flight was scheduled to leave.
At 1:30 p.m. (4:30 a.m. where I was headed), the flight took off – packed to the gills as predicted.
In my aisle seat (5b, this is important), I found myself sitting next to an older woman (probably my age) and she wanted to talk. I did not. I wanted to sleep.
The guy across the aisle from me was already at it…eyes closed, mask on, blanket up…sleeping like a baby.
But I also noticed something was weird with my seat. It was like the cushion had been worn through and shorten. My butt seemed to sit on metal while the cushion was rolled up under my thighs cutting off the blood circulation actually causing my legs to go to sleep. Whatever, I thought. I’ll be asleep soon.
So when the attendant, Scott, came over to ask if we wanted anything to drink, I said no, “I’ll be asleep before we leave the runway or I’ll be really disappointed.”
I made sure the woman heard me.
With my eyes closed, I was asleep in no time. But I heard something and felt someone slapping my leg.
It was the woman bent over coughing, red in the face, and looking a little panicked. “Do you need water,” I asked. She shook her head yes. I motioned for Scott.
Then the woman passed out. Went completely limp.
She looked completely dead.
I shook her…nothing. No response. Scott arrived and said, “Oh, my God.” He reached across her, shook her and yelled, “Lady, stay awake…lady…wake up.”
He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back (I’m still sitting in my seat, she’s against the window, Scott’s reaching across me…) and he flips her back.
She’s limp, dead weight slumped in the corner of the seat against the window.
He asked me to step out. I did. Scott shakes her, telling her to wake up and she does…just a bit…like she’s drunk. But I know that wasn’t the case – it had only been about 20 minutes since we took off.
Slowly, she begins to come back and Scott says, “Uh-Oh.” She’s vomited all over the floor in front of her and next to me. He looks at me and says, “Is that your bag?” “Uh-huh,” I nod. “You’d better get it out of there before it’s too late,” he said.
Scott runs off to get stuff to clean up everything and a couple of plastic bags for her.
I stood in the aisle for about 20 minutes while he and another flight attendant cleaned up the scene and worked on her to keep her lucid.
Scott then offered me the jump seat – that’s the little fold down seat in the front galley by the door. The first thing I do is sit down and rest my arm on something on the wall.
It’s dark. I’m tired. The woman sitting next to me looked dead…wierd night, right?
Scott comes in and says you don’t want to put your arm on that. I look and it’s the latch to the door I’m resting my arm on.
After about 45 minutes, he says, it’s safe to go back if you want. It’s up to you. I think about it for another 10 minutes and realize there’s no way I can sit in the jump seat for another 3 hours with my knees pressed against the opposing wall and my back straight as a ramrod.
So, I return to 5b and take my place.
The woman looks up a bit…just enough to confirm that she looks like death warmed over…and says, “I’m sorry, sir.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. And I wanted to say “It happens” but I didn’t because I’d never heard of this happening before.
I close my eyes, my legs aching and squirming from the uncomfortable seat…and the woman starts coughing and retching again into the bag Scott has given her.
If I could have moved any further into the aisle and still remained in my seat, I’m not sure how.
That went on for the next three hours. I was the second one off the plane as it dumped us into Dallas.
I’ve had a 90 minute layover, no sleep and it’s now 8:10 a.m. central time. I’m still in First Class and my ticket says 4b. Good. I’m closer to the door…in and out.
That’s what I want. Because when I get to Birmingham, I still have a 2 hour drive to Atlanta.
This is the exact same type of plane that we flew from Seattle. As I walk into the plane bound for Birmingham, I look for 4b. It’s on the right side of the plane.
Something’s wrong because I sat on the left side of the plane on the flight from hell.
You guessed it. I had been sitting in the wrong seat on the flight from Seattle. I wasn’t even supposed to be there. I was supposed to be where the guy who slept the entire night was – across the aisle. He had my seat. So I took his not even thinking that it might have been the wrong one.
So, just before I closed my eyes to get a 90-minute sleep while I sat in 4b, I asked myself “Why?”
Martin – I can’t think of a thing positive about that experience. But I don’t have to have the answers, I know. The positive thing may have been something I’m not privy too, but in any case…
I’m one tired cookie writing this note.
Signing off now.
If you have any ideas about “Why?”, I’d love to hear it. Leave a comment below.
OMG! That surely was the flight was hell. I guess the lesson would be not to assume things (I do it all the time) like you assumed that seat by the woman was yours. Hope you have a great time at Willie’s bash. I really wanted to go to it as I turned 50 in march too but financially wasn’t able to swing it.
The question is, what have you wished for lately? Have you wished you had more patience, more empathy?
Well, it certainly DOES sound like the flight you never want to have again!
My first thoughts – “pay attention” – a message for something more important – no matter how tired you are OR take stock of why you are pushing yourself to get to such a state that you miss an opportunity/avoid misfortune.
BTW – have you approached the airline (thanking Scott – praising his actions first) couched in such a way that they feel obliged to offer you either a refund or a free trip, maybe in a less “peak” activity?
Never miss an opportunity!
Kind regards from Australia
Nadine Huegel
PS be grateful it wasn’t a longer trip – It could have been to Australia!
Hi David:
Could it be that you’re a silly bugger and can’t read
seat numbers properly.
Just Kidding!!! Glad it was you and not me.
Hope you’ve recovered now!
Your positive outlook on life is why I asked that question. It may be hard to find a positive aspect sleep deprived. My guess is it will come later.
The rub here is it’s not for anyone else to find your take away, David. Those issues are always private and individual.
Life is an “inside game”. It’s how we, as individuals, interpret the events that happen to us. It’s never the event. It’s always our interpretation.
Is “Why?” the right framing of the question either. I’m not sure. So many of life’s experience don’t reveal their true value to us until later. Sometime in the future, the value will hit you. Will you share that? Hope so.
Be well, my friend. And drive safely home.
Hi David,
This is one time I would not have wanted to be in your
shoes. You see, it always pays to check your ticket and
note your seat #. Some people don’t care about the number, or they just sit where they want to.
It happened to me once, but I got my seat.
Well, lesson learned, right?
Hi David,
Maybe it means you have travelled enough for now. It is time to take a break. Now that you have had this experience, it certainly will make you take a second thought the next time you are planning to go somewhere.
You certainly have my sympathies. By the way, how is Willie? Did you have a good time? Was it worth it?
Regards, Pat
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Hey David,
Wow…what an experience! The only thing that comes to mind is “Pay more attention to details.”
Or maybe it was just a humbling experience that was needed for more personal growth.
Who knows, our comments can “guess” the WHY. The important thing David is…..”What was the why to you?”
I think after some rest and reflection…you will find your much needed answer.
Take care my friend…
Do you think you’ll ever fly again without checking your seat number?
Lessons like that seem to be all about awareness.
I’d say perhaps something may come about where you’ll catch an error in a contract now that you might have missed. Or maybe it’s calling attention to something you may have recently missed — reviewing stuff might be in order.
Barf and discomfort is one thing. Getting financially hosed in a business deal b/c you failed to catch a typo is something else entirely. (Or maybe it’s not a “typo”… d’ya think some folks make “typos” on purpose, maybe once in a while?)
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Could you by any chance have a program running in your subconscious, one which does not allow you to enjoy the better things in life? I don’t know your childhood background, but when something like that happens to me, I usually end up finding out there’s a program inside — it’s as though I have to punish myself — you don’t deserve it or that’s selfish. You enjoyed the first plane trip… but grudgingly as though you were not supposed to enjoy this luxury … as though you are disgusted that you actually enjoyed it. Therefore, you had to make up for it somehow…through self punishment (and you did a good job I might add). Why not ask your higher self what program is running inside? Why can you not enjoy yourself when things are good? What’s stopping you?
Marcelle
You’re asking the question from a spiritual aspect. Every one’s commenting on the ‘meaning’ of the experience you had in 1st Class. Spiritually, my first thought was ‘what was the one you missed in coach.’
Well I suffer from simular disease and it not pretty when these things happen.
You had a real life experience that you never had before even though not very pleasant one.
Learning from it will help you understand not all people are as lucy as you.
That be greatful you are healthy and well.
Take Care
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If you were a SAINT in training, what would you have done differently. Adversity you know is opportunity. Too little is made of this.
Maybe the guy who got your seat needed the rest more than you. Maybe your misfortune was his blessing, and maybe he had greater need.
Coriollis Effect, I suspect. Happens all the time when you least expect it.
I think the why was to save this woman’s life. Without you being in that seat, she might have choked to death.
Simple as that.
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Wow – lots of variety in these posts.
I learned a lot from the experience, that’s for sure. The common thread – which I certainly try to learn over and over – is pay more attention!
But I – like many others on that plane – were cattle moving through the chute. I see a gazillion people a day just going through the motions.
My friend Katherine asked me to take her to the mall years ago to get a pepper grinder. We spent three hours looking for the perfect pepper grinder because she wanted the best one – wanted it to be a conscious decision. She wanted everything to be a conscious decision.
But sometimes, I want to choose my conscious decisions – I just chose a bad moment to be unconscious.
On the other hand, who knows what would have happened if I were sitting in the right seat?
Thanks for the comments.
David