the clear air

My mom and I were the very first to board. This was one of the benefits of being or traveling with a senior citizen. You get to zip through airport security with an escort and be first or one of the first to board and deplane. For me, I get to feel like a celebrity. But then again, I struggle to keep up my mom and the wheelchair operator.

I didn’t know August was considered a part of monsoon season in Las Vegas. There we were on the plane, returning home. Waiting. Waiting for the monsoon to pass. Waiting on the runway. The captain announced, “We are being redirected to the opposite end of the airport because of the weather. There has to be at least a 15-mile distance between planes.” There were so many planes on the runway. The other passengers sigh. One yells out, “Pilots in Houston fly through Hurricanes.” I remain quiet, dozing a bit while trying to finish reading my very interesting book, “The Harbinger.” An hour passes. Other passengers were getting more and more irritated. I was now alert but cool. The plane began to move. By now an hour and a half has passed. Everyone thought we were about to depart. However, the plane made a sharp turn and headed back to the gate. The captain came on again, “Sorry folks. I have been in communication with the tower and not keeping you updated. We were number two in line. However, while on the runway another carrier noticed that one of our exterior doors was open. So, we are headed back to the gate to secure the door and refuel. We have used a lot of fuel waiting. When we take to the runway again, we will be number 23 in line.” Other people let out a nervous laugh or sighed. But I prayed, “Thank you Lord. Thank you for the delay.” God sometimes has a purpose in a delay, as was the case in this instance. After reaching the gate people with connecting flights left and were rerouted elsewhere. Two hours after initially boarding, we were now in the air. The airline did send us each $100 voucher for the delay.

During this flight, I began to think about my first flight after 9/11. It was ten months after that horrendous event. I was in route to California for my family reunion. I was terrified. Each bit of turbulence caused my heart to drop again and again. The male flight attendant was witty and cracked an occasional joke. That helped a bit. I had the middle seat. My mom had the aisle and a familiar looking gentleman had the window seat. The flight attendants were really going out of their way to accommodate this man. Again, he looked familiar. I just couldn’t place him. I wondered was he an actor, musician or something. The plane hit another patch of turbulence. My heart was now in my throat. I asked myself, “Why are you so scared?” My answer was, “Because, I am not in control. Should this plane go down, there is nothing I can do. What if something should happen to the pilots?” My next thought was, “Well, if you are not in control, then who is?” My answer was, “ God is in control.” I turned my thoughts to figuring out who the guy seated next to me was.” We both looked out the window. He said, “Looks like we are now crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains.” I answered, “You must travel this route often.” He answered, “I guess you can say that.” I asked, “Are you famous? You look so familiar.” He answered with a quote. I didn’t recognize it and obviously looked puzzled. He said, “Mark Twain.” I said, “That’s it!” You look like Mark Twain. He smiled. The male flight attendant walked by again and asked him if he needed something. He ordered a gin and tonic and then excused himself to the lavatory. After he left, the male flight attendant walked up and said to me, “I have you know that you are seated next to a CAPTAIN.” All during my flight or should I say fright, my fear of something happening to the pilots flying the plane, God had me seated next to an extra pilot. The plane hit some more turbulence. Now, it felt just like hitting a bump in the road. I was no longer afraid.

As deacons at my parents’ church sometimes sing to open the service, “I will trust in the Lord. I will trust in the Lord. I will trust in the Lord. I will trust in the Lord til I die. I will trust in the Lord. I will TRUST in the Lord. I will TRUST in the Lord til I die.”