Unfriendly Skies

     Traveling is a great way to broaden your horizons. You see things and meet people you wouldn’t ordinarily. It’s wonderful to have these new experiences under your belt. What happens when your odyssey is hindered by others?

     Last Spring, I went to New Jersey for a weekend workshop. I had an early flight and after getting through TSA, was sitting at the waiting area of my plane’s gate. Everyone was on a mobile device or having quiet conversations. It was before 7 am and no one wanted to be loud, let alone awake. CNN played on the television in the waiting area, which normally would’ve been fine. Not this morning however. One woman was especially cantankerous. Not helping matters, was the fact that the missing plane from Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 had just disappeared. This woman took special issue with CNN’s report.

 

     “Oh my God!” she fumed. “Why WOULD they play this? Don’t they know we’re about to board a plane?!”

     Apparently, not only was she bothered by how inconsiderate CNN’s news delivery was, but she wanted us to know. It just seemed odd that she thought a news network was out to ruin her flight. I tried desperately to ignore her rant. I was sleepy and just wanted to get on my plane.

     As the plane began to board, I hope the enraged woman would be calm on the flight.  I hoped in vain. No sooner had I taken my seat did she come barging up the tiny aisle with a massive quilt jumbled in front her. She pushed past me, bumping my arm hard as I was reading. I chose to let that slide because if I hadn’t I would’ve gotten kicked off the plane. I confess, I am not a morning person.

 

    When the flight ascended, I heard grumbles from the back of the plane. About five minutes later, she must have fallen asleep because there was silence. Sweet, glorious silence. When the plane landed at O’Hare, I grabbed my carry on and hurried off. I silently prayed she wasn’t on my next flight. Thankfully, she wasn’t.

     When traveling it’s best to take your manners with you instead of leaving them at home. A plane is a vessel containing people of various backgrounds and social graces. Let the other passengers remember the flight instead of you.

No Means No

     Many times people agree to things just to keep down chaos. In truth, they don’t want to say yes. If they don’t say yes, they explain themselves so that they seem less callous. Is there merit to saying no and meaning it?

     As a girl, you’re taught to be agreeable and never rock the boat. The worst thing you can be viewed as is “mean”. This is highly unrealistic and contradictory to what boys are taught. There is nothing wrong with saying no and meaning it.

     An example that comes to mind is the company Christmas party. It’s annual and absolutely dreadful. At least 7 people asked me why I wasn’t going last year. To be honest, many of my coworkers are rude and have made my job difficult. Why would I ever spend time with them outside of work? I never go to the party anyway, so why mess with tradition? I held firm. I wished them a good time, but I was staunch about my lack of attendance. Best. Decision. Ever. On Monday, the office buzzed with the mishaps of the Christmas party.

     In the grand tradition of company parties, foolishness ensued. One coworker was not only inebriated but improperly dressed to boot. He was so drunk, that he knocked over things and had gotten the attention of two of the managers. Not to be outdone, a wife of one of the managers was flirty with a few members of male staff and not her husband.

     When saying no, go with your gut. Stick with your decision without wavering. Most importantly, you don’t have to explain yourself. You’ve made your decision and that’s good enough.