Allow me to start by saying, I love
airports; the
flying, meeting people,
exotic places, the thrill of
travel and change. They are huge
centers of travel, and excitement, but they are also massive centers of people. Airports feel alive; much like a downtown
Manhattan street: buzzing with
people, a thousand lives who only share in common the same air they breathe and
pavement they walk on.
You'll see many kinds of people at an
Airport: The frequent
traveler, the
vacationer, the adventure seeker, the nervous to fly type, and many others. Each has their own individual differences. Airports are singularly
unique because they fall outside of the
Real World. People's
lives are on hold while they are flying; it is a mutual suspension of
society. So how do they act in this completely
anonymous setting? You will only see these people but once or twice, and that will be it. So how will they act? What will they do? I like to people watch, and to learn about them, and in turn, myself.
It starts when we all get there; about an hour and a half before the
flight. You can tell many things right away... people are naturally
vulnerable, open,
exposed... What are they
wearing? Are they dressed up, or casual? I always fly casually, but some people do not. Are they trying to
look good in front of 200 people they've never seen before? Do they have a meeting at 11pm when we get off the
plane?
Dress means a lot; clothes are an
armor and a
crayon; they protect you, yet reveal a little bit about you at the same time.
Is the
person acting busy; walking around, talking on a cell phone? On a
laptop, busy punching keys? Or is the person on the laptop playing
solitaire, reading a
book, or listening to
music. These people are more casual, laid back, and take it more
easily.
How does a person act when near these anonymous
strangers? Are they drawn close to themselves, leaving lots of space between the next people in line? Are they concerned about
personal space and privacy? How much have they packed? Are they incredibly
careful with it*? Are they rude, or polite to the other people getting on the
plane. No one there is any better than anyone else...
When you are all packed into those
uncomfortable seats, what do your two
row mates do? Do they
converse with you, keep to
themselves, or
sleep. Do they mind the middle seat**? Look
around... an
airport trip for almost
everyone means change; how a person handles
change means a lot about them. Your life is being imposed on as well as
everyone else's. Such is the life of
the weary traveler.
There are even the
selfless acts by some... who will give up their seat? Who will allow
families to sit near each other? There are kind souls to be found there. Good
exists in everyone, and
manifests itself in different ways. People can make the trip better for everyone, or try to
shield themselves from their several hours of
personal hell.
Airports, and the actions people take at them, reveal so much about how a person relates, deals with stress, handles situations, bounces back from change, and how they choose to appear in front of others. No other place in the
world do
miniature societies form and dissolve so quickly as there. People on an airplane are
powerless to accept their
fate, be it a
bumpy ride, a
crash, or a smooth trip
home. It's a strange
analogy to our
everyday lives, and because of that people
volunteer information, even if they are merely staring out a
window begging for a
plane to deliver a loved one.
Some of the most interesting and frank conversations about work, life,
dreams,
ideas,
sex, and people were on an airplane. Some people (like myself), love the opportunity to interact with people from all over, with
different lives and
experiences. For a few hours, your paths will cross but once; why miss this chance to really get to know someone in a
personal way? Your life will be better for it, and
otherwise you will lose those
eight hours while
on board. Learn people, and you will find yourself among the crowd. If you listen to the hum, you can hear individual
voices. If you listen really
closely, you may even hear
yourself.
Footnotes:
* Of course for security reasons you have to be careful with your luggage.
** I mind the middle seat, but that is only because the view from the window is fascinating.