Do you remember the time when you boarded a flight and you were excited, your stomach churned and most of you prayed for just staying alive? And at the end there was the obligatory clapping and stomping as an expression of thanks to the captain for bringing us down safely. I first flew to Luxembourg, accompanying my father on a business trip. It felt so posh, the people on the plane looked elegant and rich. And…hang on… the food was great too! None seems to be the case anymore.
When I boarded my flight yesterday, most people I saw was a modern-day commuter who fly for money, for being able to feed themselves and their family. For this, the atmosphere is far from elegant nowadays. It depends on the airline too, of course. People looked tired and bored, staring at their all sorts of gadgets instead of looking out of the windows to admire the shape and texture of the clouds. If we lose interest in the sky and we take flying for granted to this extent, what’s left for us in this world to appreciate? We should and must be grateful for the captain for bringing us home in one piece and we must learn again how to appreciate our natural sorroundings. Hard work is no excuse.
When you fly next time, for any reason, even if you do it for work, switch off your ‘substitutes’ and look out of the windows. Try to find the miracle in each and every cloud. And at landing, please cheer the captain, he does a great job!