Airports

I love seeing people disarmed in airports.  Disarmed of their image, how they might represent themselves, their emotions.  If you are familiar with John Mayer’s song Wheel from Heavier Things, you might know what I’m talking about.  It plays on repeat in my head most times I’m in an airport.  

Standing in security with so many other people makes my imagination go crazy.  Where are they going?  Where are they coming from?  Are they looking forward to their journey?  Who is picking them up? 

My most favorite thing is noticing the small things.  The impeccably dressed woman who takes off her designer boots and is wearing mismatched socks.  The drink order of the person next to me.  The luggage of flight crews.   The laptop stickers on the laptop going through security ahead of me.  

The weird sense of community in airports is also interesting.  A man stood behind me today at the ticket counter.  He openly began to tell me about how the airline had lost his luggage and he had no idea what to wear to work tomorrow in this city far from home.  Flying out the other day a woman told me about how the airline had lost her reservation.  She pulled out her phone and showed me the charge as she waited in frustration.  Where else do people engage others in conversation so readily?  Where else will we run like crazy people, huffing, shoes in hand, in front of strangers?  Where else do you put on make up in a public restroom?   

Listen to Wheel  next time you’re in the airport and enjoy some serious curiosity.