The Friday Feature w/ Sean – Courage to Help
While we were standing in line to board Southwest Flight 1966 from St. Louis, a young lady approached me with two boarding passes and asked how boarding worked. I explained the process to the couple. They took a seat, not far from where we were standing, to wait their time to board. Eye contact. Conversation ignited. It was the couple’s first flight. To say they were nervous was an understatement. I offered to use their phone to take a photo saying “There is only one first time.” Soon afterwards, boarding began. We said, “Enjoy your flight and your trip.” We lumbered back to row 17 so we could get an aisle seat and a middle seat as the flight would soon be full. Boarding continued. We watched for the couple. The plane was quickly filling up as about 75 more fliers boarded. Finally, we saw the couple enter the plane. Debbie and I looked at each other. The window seat was still empty beside her and, in God’s will, a flight attendant was standing in the aisle across from me. Quickly, we identified the first-flight couple to the flight attendant and invited the couple back to row 17. We offered the window seat for better viewing, but the aisle seats were preferred. She sat next to Debbie. More nerves. Debbie started talking to her. Apprehension. The plane began to back out away from the gate. Tears. Debbie explained the take-off process. As the plane’s engines started to roar, more tears. The plane rushed down the runway. And then it happened. Hands touched. Two souls became one for a few moments. No more tears. Soon, the first-time flier was enjoying a Diet Coke at 35,000 feet in the air. And, shortly thereafter, asleep.