Airports

There is something enchanting about traveling.  Going to new places, seeing new sites, experiencing new things.  Ever since I was a little boy I wanted to fly in a plane.  It is still in the back of my mind as a life goal to learn how to fly. 

I never grow tired of boarding the plane, taking my seat, and looking out the window as the plane revs its engine.  I love sitting near the wings to watch the mechanics of the flaps or the tilt of the wings that guide our flight.  I am always amazed that people managed to build something that could fly.  I am even more amazed that people can travel, in mere hours, what would could take weeks or months in past centuries.

But....I easily grow tired of waiting in lines, going through security, and flight delays.  Don't get me wrong, I understand that security is necessary and the weather can really put a damper on your well-scheduled itinerary. 

Two quick scenarios regarding our flights to and from New York City this past week:

1. As I was going through security, putting my shoes, wallet, cell phone, belt in one bin and then my computer by itself in another, I witnessed a girl with crutches go through the medal detector.  She was allowed to walked through the detector with the crutches (as she had a full leg brace), but then a security attendant had to put the crutches back on the conveyor belt to be scanned.  Then, another security attendant noticed the girl was still wearing her flip flops.  The attendant and two others left their positions to go grab her flip flops so they could be scanned as well.  I found the whole sequence amusing.  I felt extra safe knowing that three security attendants left their posts in order to make sure the girl did not have a bomb implanted in the foam of her flip flops.
2. Weather delays in NYC really knock out the flight schedules for most of the country.  Due to the weather we would have missed our connecting flight.  So we were redirected to another airline and to another connecting airport.  Several more delays and a night spent in the ATL airport later, we finally arrived back home.  Despite these inconveniences, we still flew in the freakin' air!  Can you believe that!  A large metal vessel, carrying 100+ people still managed to leave the ground for a period of time and touch back down in another location with no problems except weather delays!