There and Back Again

I'm back from the road. I love being out and I love coming back. Like Bilbo, I love a little adventure but it's comforting to come home to my little hobbit hole for a nice cup of tea.

I really enjoy people watching and people watching in airports is like the Olympic level of human observation. I had a lot of fun watching a stylish and zealous guy who was working at a burrito stand in O'Hare. He was one of those guys who works fast, friendly and with a patented patter. You couldn't help but smile at him, even when the cashiers were three times as slow and not nearly so nice.

Also at ORD, some lady actually called me honey and put her hand on my shoulder. I don't even remember why she did it but after a week of very little physical contact (other than the grip-n-grin sessions at business meetings) it was sort of nice. Comforting.

While at one of my meetings I was intrigued by the fringe people (of which I am one) -- those people who don't know how to gracefully insinuate themselves in to a conversations with customers and so instead choose to hang out at the fringes of the party, nursing a drink and passing the time. Some people do this with great grace. Some even begin chatting with other fringe people, thereby becoming un-fringe-y. (But we're all always relieved when our coworkers finally show up).

Also, I found out that if you laugh a lot and blush a little while you're getting the post 9-11 security patdown, security workers really appreciate your good humor. I am now best friends with some security workers in the Nashville airport and told them so. Heck, with that degree of intimacy we're probably engaged in some countries. I like that I was able to make them laugh a little -- I'm sure they get ragged on for most of the day and don't expect someone to have a sense of humor about getting felt up in a public place.

In a time where people are so accustomed to and prepared for people to be unkind or at the very most, aloof, I see there's still a lot of warmth and generosity out there. Cheerful bus drivers, polite passers-by, friendly customer service agents, genuinely nice fellow travelers. Makes the trip there and back again just a little bit better.