Mom used to love finding a cozy place to sit and drink coffee and watch people and I never understood what the fascination was, until last night. My wife was coming in on British Airways from London, and I got to the airport in plenty of time to meet her, but no one can ever guess how long it might take to clear customs.
So I sat in the International Arrivals area and watched the people go by. The people arriving meeting friends and family, the people departing making sure they had all their documents in hand before entering the security zone. Each time someone passed with their passport in hand I felt a sense of nostalgia, and I felt good but sad also, remembering when waving goodbye and checking my ticket and passport was something I did every three months or so.
In a life filled with ordinary everyday it is refreshing to do something a little different especially if the experience itself is different. I think Mom would be happy not so much because I “get” it but because, even after all these years, I still see diversity that makes life interesting rather than a divider separating “them” from “us”. That was the one true success that came out of all those years of going boarding school, even if I didn’t always show it. 😉
