Day 236

Yesterday was storm watching, pacing, and eating. I felt stressed as the barometer dropped. I did get a short brisk walk and loved the wind. Rosie and I have a date to pursue our study of conscious aging. I love her plans. She will keep my motivation in high gear. She wants us to be ready to start groups in January and I will be ready. I have pages to study and questions to answer for our meeting/beach walk on Wednesday.
POH

Typical coastal fog. It’s down on the ground and our airport is right on the coast.  I wonder what the chances are for getting out of here.  I want to meet my connection in San Francisco by 2 P. M.  The taxi takes me in time for all the security measures and waiting time.  After I give my suitcase to the attendant, I scan the room for a seat.  It is full and noisy in the waiting area.  The seating is around the outside of the room with a back to back row in the middle.  I spot a seat near the window. It is the last empty seat. The woman in the next seat begins a tirade about security, the wait, late flights, and so on.  “They can put a man on the moon and can’t get a plane off the ground on time.”  The woman is leaning on the armrest and nearly touching my shoulder.  I am uncomfortable both with the tone of voice, the content, and the invasion of my personal space.  Here I am looking forward to an adventure and this woman would drain my energy if I allowed it.  I look around the room and wonder if I would be better off standing when I become interested in a group in the middle of the room.  About a dozen people are sitting and standing together in a smiling, laughing, hugging group of ages from 7 to 70.  Now, that’s my kind of people. I watch and listen to them.  It seems OK to eavesdrop in a public place.  The two elders in the group are the ones leaving. All the others have come to say Bon Voyage and to reiterate the highlights of their visit.  I am intrigued by their good-natured banter, and the closeness, almost intimacy of their interactions. 

The pilots enter the room. “San Francisco is fogged in. Only one  runway is open. We can wait here or circle for an hour. We decided that we want breakfast!  Our phones are on and if the news comes that we can land sooner, we’ll be back.”

 I would rather wait than go in circles, using fuel, and belted in.  There is another rush of laughing and hugging with the center group and they say, “Good.  We have an extra hour together.” 

The woman next to me is walking around, spreading her bad humor among the others after she noticed that I wouldn’t respond to her.  I relax in the chair, stretching my back before settling in. I watch the interactions in the center stage. I am fascinated by group dynamics and this group is wonderful to observe.

The attendant signals that it is time for us to go through the screening and into the security waiting area.  Loud good-byes are exchanged along with vigorous hugs as the family leaves. We collect our handbags to join the line at the scanning machine.  A flashlight I carry is challenged.  After turning it on and off to be sure it is a flashlight, she drops it back into my purse and gestures toward the door.  We walk to the room and enter to find a different seating arrangement.  It is a long room with chairs along the walls. We are facing one another.  The older couple who had been having so much fun in the waiting room bring their humor into this drab setting. They are retired park guides and are well equipped with stories.  In about five minutes, our group is laughing, sharing, and exchanging information.  The attendant says, “Hey, you guys are having too much fun in here.  Too much bonding going on.” 

Then the flight is finally announced and we trail out to the plane.  Once inside and seated and belted, we each seem to become involved in our own thoughts about the next part of our adventure. I sit with a pleasant review of the wait. It showed me that good spirits can save the day.