I'm writing this from a two-seater leather bench at Denver International Airport, sandwiched between armrests after an all-nighter and 10-hour flight delay, involving THREE deboardings and plenty of meal voucher fun.
Over the past 24 hours, I've had some interesting encounters worth noting.
A deaf woman at the train station asked for money, and since I had none, I gave her a pack of gum. She walked off. Minutes later I felt a warm embrace bear hug from behind. She was grateful, and we ended up sharing a long hug.
The train never showed up, so I split an Uber with a 65-year-old guy who introduced himself as Hassan. We had a lively conversation about NASA, electric vehicles, life purpose, and opportunity during the ride to the airport. We continued sharing stories until we reached our respective gates, where we exchanged info. He insisted on paying for the ride and for me to call him "Hass" since "my friends call me 'Hass' and now we're friends."
In the DIA bathroom, I found an elderly woman crouched over searching for her dropped earring on the speckled tiles. After 20 minutes of searching, I managed to locate it, and in return, she gave me a big Italian grandma smooch on the cheek.
A guy strolled onto the Frontier plane dressed head to toe in ski attire, from boots to bibs to helmet- a strategic choice to navigate Frontier's stringent bag policies. As he walked down the aisle, everyone took out their phones to snap photos, cheering, and giving him first bumps.
A 10-hour flight delay and multiple boardings and deboardings, and people are understandably huffing and puffing. However, amidst the collective crankiness, my thoughts transcend to the grace within humanity. Once we all made it back on the plane for the FOURTH time, all travelers were bonded in a new way. Joking around with one another, making the most of it, toasting vodka sodas, and embracing the collective Deja Vu.
In this fleeting travel turmoil, I find solace in these connections, profound in their brevity. These 24 hours feel like a suspended dream, a testament to the power of genuine interactions in a world filled with scams and literal crumbling cultures and foundations. These brief connections have offered me a refreshing perspective. My horoscope's assertion, "You have power in social interactions today." seems pretty spot on today. Let's be kind. Assume positive intent. Connect with others. Enjoy what we have.