What Then

This past week I flew out early Thursday morning to Washington, DC to host an alumni event that same evening. It was a quick trip filled with weaving in and out of traffic, getting a rental car, navigating my way in unknown, traffic-filled territory to a motel and then a restaurant nestled in the midst of wall to wall concrete, and then back again to the airport the next morning for a flight home.

It was fast and furious, but it was fun.

The event was spectacular. The people who attended were fun-loving, chatty peeps that made it all easy. And the icing on top is that the food was divine. So, other than my opening speech which was a major flop if ever I've flopped at an opening speech before, it was all good. I'm not sure what happened with the opening speech thing. I'll blame it on the weather (which was perfect, I might add). But it was a forgiving crowd and they didn't blink at my lack of ability to find simple words or the fact that I stumbled and repeated myself, or that I forgot to say many things that I was supposed to say.

That's ok. Next time I'll be on my A-game.

Hopefully.

I will say, the fall colors were spectacular and the crisp air was good for my soul. Ah--I do love fall. I'll have to adjust to Texas fall...which really isn't much of a fall at all...and do my best to schedule events on the east coast during this time of year so that I can get my fix.

But here is the thing that stands out the most from my trip:

Because it was such new territory and I had to return the rental car which included catching a shuttle to the airport, I gave myself far too much time for hanging at the airport. After it was all said and done, I had a whopping three hours for simply reading and perusing and such. Honestly, I don't mind at all. I'm a simple sort of girl and boredom just isn't my style. I can read, hang with a crossword, or just live in the midst of my head with the best of them.  

Anyway, as I was hanging there, this guy joined the crowd. Now this guy? He looked normal. He was probably in his late 40's, early 50's, dressed decently, and fairly nice looking. But he was loud and obnoxious and inappropriate. At first, I watched him with a skeptical eye: what is your problem? But as time passed, I realized that he most likely wasn't "all there." I'm not exactly sure what that meant: was he high on something? Or was he just, you know...affected in some way? But clearly there was a problem.

Fairly quickly another middle aged man interacted with this guy--we'll call him Charlie--and so Charlie sidled up to this guy and I began to wonder if they were somehow connected. Traveling together. Friends. Charlie immediately lay down on the floor where this other guy was sitting and occasionally Charlie would blurt out something. For instance, one time he overheard a lady say, "What did you say?" And so he very loudly said, "What did you say?"

He did that sort of thing. Over and over.

Eventually, we were called to board the plane and so everyone got in line, including this guy that Charlie deemed his friend. And that's when we all realized that, in fact, they were not connected. The guy got in line and Charlie was left lying on the ground. He immediately got up when he realized he had been deserted and, by this time, the line had grown exponentially and he found himself separated from his friend. "SIR!" He yelled.

The guy stared straight ahead.

"Sir!" He yelled again.

The guy continued to stare straight ahead.

And then Charlie got frantic: "Sir! Sir! Sir! SIRRRRRRRR!"

But the guy didn't budge, gave no indication that he even heard Charlie. And so finally, dejected, Charlie tucked his head and went to the back of the line to wait his turn to get on the plane.

We all, myself included, stared straight ahead and pretended that Charlie didn't exist.

And that's what has stuck with me since this all transpired.

Because, what about if we did acknowledge Charlie? What about if we did befriend him, accept him, encourage him to come along side us and get on the plane together?

What then.

What about, if instead of sneering at his inappropriate comments, we simply brushed them aside as harmless and talked to him? Treated him as one of us?

What then.

What about if, rather than acting as strangers, we acted as friends, all in this world together, all a piece of humanity joining hands and traversing its ruggedness in a united fashion rather than as islands, separate and alone.

What then.

Sometimes I tire of judgment. I tire of the polarization this country is experiencing in the wake of the election. And sometimes I tire of the fact that I am on this train wholeheartedly. The things I see that make me weary? It's in me too.

There must be a better way.

There must be a way this side of heaven that embraces everyone, that makes everyone feel included and important.

And if we all wrapped our thoughts around that, made the first step in letting go of judgment and embracing someone who isn't like us...

Well...

What then.