Did you want an aisle or middle seat with that $9 cocktail?
I fly to Seattle once a month to make a difference in that community through coaching. I get totally fired up about my trips – an amazing city with lots of coffee and microbrewed beers, nice people who could use a smile or two, and an opportunity to make a difference with a bunch of people committed to changing the world.
And then I get the priviledge of standing next to Tom Toughguy at the security checkpoint. Then I get the priviledge of being in front of Kathy Kwiktemper in the jetway. Then I get the priviledge of being seated next to Kevin Komplainer.
And then, if you’re at all like me, you wonder how come the flight crew DOESN’T greet me with a truly warm smile when I board the airplane.
Here’s how I see it:
- Everyday they risk their lives flying on an airplane. Yeah, the big metal objects in the sky that gravity really loves.
- Everyday they risk their well-being by breathing in the jet fuel exhaust and passenger germs.
- Everyday they risk their livelihood by catching their tempers just in time before taking that pain in the butt passenger and tossing them out the rear exit door.
- Everyday they risk their sanity by choosing to put on some sort of smile for EVERY single passenger as they depart the plane.
I’ve got it that these people are more than just the flight crew. They’re more than just a $5 beer or cocktail. They’re more than coffee, tea or milk.
These people are our overlooked heros. They assure us that everything is okay when we hit turbulence, take away our trash so we’re not spending 3-6 hours with a half-eaten Big Mac, and prop a pillow behind our heads so we can get a few minutes of rest.
Who are your overlooked heros? When was the last time you called one and just said “Thanks for being in my life”? When was the last time you sent one a note simply telling them that you were thinking of them? When was the last time you invited one to your home for dinner?
And, when was the last time you gave the gift of acknowledgement and appreciation to a flight crew even though your cancelled and re-routed flight got delayed?
Go catch some bees with honey.
Happy Gratitude,
- Coach Preston
http://www.breakyoursilence.com/
