Sunday 5/11: All Day in the Airport

I've had lots of time to think and reflect today. With a layover in Memphis from 10AMish to 2:30PM-- I'm sure you can imagine what my day has been like. Needless to say I've done quite a bit of exploring. Airports are different from any other human space. Things can happen in airports that don't happen anywhere else. Interactions with people are just different. I can't quite put it in words. Maybe it has something to do with everyone being in transient. Airport terminals are common ground, a neutral zone, no one's home turf. They are definitely one of the best places to people watch. A couple of years ago while in the Athens' (Greece) airport I remember watching this couple say goodbye. So many emotions in such a short gesture.



Back to my day... I have to say that despite the "fun" of the airport my favorite times today have been while I've been in the air. There is something about being above it all -- in the air-- that clears my mind. During my flight from Lafayette for some odd reason I began to remember the story of Amelia Earhart, "a childhood hero." Disappearing in the clouds on the cusp of achieving her dream is so sad, but also really liberating. I'm not sure why Amelia Earhart was a hero. Perhaps it was the pure guts she exhibited with everything she did. Maybe I was just fascinated by her ability to break the barriers impressed upon her because of her gender. I know that the mystery surrounding her death/disappearance added to my desire to know all I could about her. Confession time: When I was in 5th grade I even dressed up like her for a report. Academic over achievement must be in my DNA. The weird thing was that I hadn't thought of Amelia Earhart until today in so long. Wonder what that association means?



This afternoon on a much larger plane to the City, I took in the last glimpses of Memphis as we flew away and experienced that familiar wonder of seeing how small humanity seems from this bird's eye view. I enjoy looking at farm lands best-- the patch work of all the different shades of green and brown. From above divisions seem to disappear and that moment when you are just about too high to see event the insect-sized cars there is a purity like nothing else. Then suddenly you're thrust above out of sight of land and you remember that there is so much more than the small areas where we live and work. The clouds are brilliantly white with shades of grey and blue. Beauty exemplified!



So I guess today taught me that profundity is not something that just is, but must sometimes be waited on. In the big scheme of things four extra hours in an airport really isn't too bad.



Just, Margaret