I was flying home last week after conducting three separate day-long sessions in Chicago. It was an evening flight to Dallas where I would eventually connect on a late-night flight back to Monroe. Like many flights that I have been on lately, people boarded the plane with earbuds listening to something on their phones. Others had noise cancelling headphones, were watching movies on their iPad, or were reading a book.
I didn’t have any of the above options but was obviously taking notice of those around me as I sat waiting for the remaining people to board the plane for takeoff. Toward the end of the boarding process, I noticed a mother with five children ranging from newborn to around 10 years old. They were all sitting apart from one another behind me in various seats. I noticed the mom sitting one row behind me across the aisle. Her little 2-3 year old would be sitting on the same row, but apart from directly behind me.
I turned to see how he was doing in his seat. He was in the middle seat between two businessmen. I began trying to think how I could change seats with various people to allow him to sit next to his mother. The look on his face as he looked around the men trying to find his mom got my attention. It would take several seat swaps for me to get him next to his mom.
The plane was now getting close to take-off, and it was almost impossible to get the attention of multiple people to arrange this switch. I decided to wait until after take-off and start making my requests. To my surprise, I looked back between the seats after we were in the air and noticed the little guy had closed his eyes. A few moments later after we were leveling off, I looked back, and he was asleep leaning on the man sitting to his right in the window seat. The man had raised the armrest and had his arm around the little guy as he slept.
That picture remained in place the entire flight. As we pulled to the gate in Dallas, I turned to check on the situation behind me, and the little guy was struggling to wake up. The man was just grinning as several on-lookers commented on his kindness. The mom did not speak English, but her smile toward him conveyed her thoughts.
While I frequently look for opportunities to trade my aisle seat with someone that needs to sit with a spouse, child, or companion, I was blessed that day by watching someone do something better than trade a seat. That man didn’t know this little boy. He boarded the plane thinking he was just getting back to Dallas. He had no idea that morning that he would comfort a little boy separated a few seats from his mom in what had to be a scary moment for the little guy.
I wonder how many of those types of moments we miss every day. With all the technology available to entertain us and separate us from the world around us, I just wonder. Don’t get me wrong, all the advancements in technology are outstanding in their own way, but I worry when they separate us from others around us and keep us from engaging with people.
Our challenge should be to continue to engage with others and to seek out opportunities (both intentionally and randomly) to make a difference. We can’t make a difference if we don’t keep our head up, our eyes open, and our ears listening to the world around us.
My compliments to the man who took care of that little boy while so many others were caught up in their own world and oblivious of the situation.
