As the official start to the new year I hopped on a plane and flew to the City of Angels. Apparently all the flights now are completely booked. This one was full of business men, young couples, families, and the assorted foreigner. I was seated comfortably in row 21 on the aisle. Fortunately next to a young, slender Asian woman, who promptly dropped off to sleep and didn't wake up until the wheels jounced her awake in LA. I'm sure she was not nearly as pleased to be slotted next to a stocky, white-haired, business traveler, but as the book says it rains on the just and the unjust..my seat was dry.
There was the usual bag engineering, eye-rolling, and fitting of all parts into small spaces. Then we rolled out the bird and took off.
My eldest daughter gave me a Kindle for Christmas. It is one of the small, simple kind..which matches me. There are only a few buttons and not much trouble you can get into. The first thing I downloaded was the NIV Study Bible, then the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. So for three hours I read. This thing is incredible, light, compact, easy to store, nice print size. The book was even good. Of course I had a few frustrating moments realizing that the "forward" and "backward" key is both sides of the instrument..who knew? So I played and read and had just a grand old time at 37,000 ft.
As we were approaching the airport, they came on and asked us to turn off all electronic devices. I had a close call a couple of weeks ago with a new business I-phone where I didn't know how the blasted thing turned off. I was frantically trying to find the right button, texting my bride for instructions and trying to ignore the flight attendant standing there, tapping her foot, arms folded, giving me the evil-eye. I did not need or want an "Alec Baldwin" moment. Finally my bride texted me back with great instructions and saved the day and my career. Anyway, I turned off my Kindle and was stowing it away when I noticed that several of the business men around me blithely tapping away on their I-pads, PCs, and E-readers, ignoring the attendants after several warnings. I thought, "Good Grief! Turn those things off! My 8-year-old grandson obeys better than you do!" I wanted to slap them with my Kindle! But each one had to have an attendant ask them specifically to turn them off.
What is up with us that we never seem to grow up in certain ways? Our actions are not in a vacuum, they impact everybody. Now I will tell you I suspect the pilot was landing that bird with or without their little E-machines on, but really, can't you listen just once and turn the little monster off?!?
So I did the only adult thing I could do. As soon as the seat belt light clipped off, I jumped up and blocked the aisle by grabbing my suitcase, rolling briefcase, and my jacket in time to keep them from jumping off.
I can be a childas well as the next guy.
Godspeed, what a fun journey it will be this year.
Don
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