I travel frequently. Shocking I know. Never saw it coming, did we? I’ve gotten very used to travelling alone, almost to the point where a couple of colleagues are thrown into the mix, it feels very unnatural. It is so easy to travel solo. So much so that it has on occasion during my year of firsts prompted me to indulge in some solo travelling for non business purposes. I know right? Stop, collaborate and listen. This is luxury. You are on your own agenda. You don’t have to go do anything you don’t want to do. But of course, travelling solo for work, especially when you add flight delays, crowded airport lounges, sometimes you end up finding commordoary in a fellow traveller.
Then there are those who are the complete opposite, you know those who live and die by the code, stranger danger. Speak to no one whom you do not know, do not make eye contact. And under no circumstances do you travel solo.
A couple of weeks ago, I was on one of my frequent flight routes, which happens to be under an hour. You’re basically up in the air long enough for a water and a cookie, then the next thing you know you’re descending and the flight attendants are prying your half eaten cookie out of your hands. Anyway, I settle in next to my seat companion, both of us opening our respective padfolios and get to work. Meanwhile, in front of me a woman my age, starts panicking, pleading with a very elderly woman to please switch seats with her so she can sit next to her boyfriend. Basically ushering this woman to the back of the plane. The flight attendant sees this drama unfolding and calmly says with a resting bitch face, ma’am you know it is only a 5o minute flight? At this point the girl actually stomped her foot, she was throwing a proper temper tantrum.
Seriously? What would really be so bad about sitting next to a stranger? What would happen if you had a conversation or, just sat in silence next to someone you didn’t know What is it really that we are so afraid of?
Are we afraid of this person being a total psychopath? And honestly, if they are, you might get a good post out of it (I once sat next to a guy that was a doppleganger for the unibomber). Or are we afraid of finding a connection? Again, a great story to share. The flip side, and I have to wonder if this was where Miss. Temper Tantrum was coming from, are we lacking in the amount of trust we have for our partner? Are we more worried about them being overtaken by the dangers of strangers? And in a bigger context are we afraid of love? And more importantly, are we afraid that what we have found or settled for is in fact not love, and now we have to either sit in misery, or deal with it. So which is scarier?
Again, maybe its me, I talk to strangers frequently, so much so that Nic actually pulled me aside in YVR for an intervention, citing she was worried that one day, in my solo work travels I just might actually be kidnapped. I responded with Russell Brand.
runningwiththeboys. 