Done in Secret
"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them;”
One time in a major airport, as I was waiting for my flight, a middle-aged man entered the waiting area. He was obviously exasperated, muttering loudly about his situation, and using lots of expletives ?
I can’t believe they put me on hold! What are they thinking? They cancel my flight and then can’t answer their phone.” Words like this and many more were coming out of his mouth. People began avoiding him, moving away from him. His affect grew angrier by the minute. When he finally did get a voice response, he sounded furious.
He walked back out into the hallway and disappeared for a bit before returning to the waiting area. There was a seat close to me. When he took his seat other people got up and moved away. I turned to him and said, “It sounds like you are having a tough time.”
“I sure am,” he replied. “They canceled my flight, put me on a different one, and then they lost my baggage. It’s so important that I make that flight and get my luggage with me.”
Suddenly the anger on his face turned to sadness. “This trip must be really important for you,” I said.
“Yes. My father died before I could get there to say goodbye and now I can’t make it when I wanted to. Everything is such a mess. My wife and children couldn’t get on the same flight. It’s outrageously expensive to fly on a moment’s notice. And then they mess up on all of these things. I am so disgusted. I’m missing the funeral planning and my mom is there by herself having to make important decisions. This is all a nightmare.”
“I would help if I could. Do you need someone to wait so you can get onto this flight?” I asked.
“No. I have a seat on this flight. You have helped me. You didn’t treat me as if I were insane. Thanks for listening to me. I guess I’m just too worked up. Nothing is really going to make much difference at this point. What mattered most is done and I couldn’t be there.”
At this point the call is given to board the plane. We were in different boarding groups. He got onto the plane and took his seat. I took mine. When we landed, I noticed he hurriedly go off the plane in order to make his connecting flight. I said a silent prayer for him.
— ronnw
"Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them;”
One time in a major airport, as I was waiting for my flight, a middle-aged man entered the waiting area. He was obviously exasperated, muttering loudly about his situation, and using lots of expletives ?
I can’t believe they put me on hold! What are they thinking? They cancel my flight and then can’t answer their phone.” Words like this and many more were coming out of his mouth. People began avoiding him, moving away from him. His affect grew angrier by the minute. When he finally did get a voice response, he sounded furious.
He walked back out into the hallway and disappeared for a bit before returning to the waiting area. There was a seat close to me. When he took his seat other people got up and moved away. I turned to him and said, “It sounds like you are having a tough time.”
“I sure am,” he replied. “They canceled my flight, put me on a different one, and then they lost my baggage. It’s so important that I make that flight and get my luggage with me.”
Suddenly the anger on his face turned to sadness. “This trip must be really important for you,” I said.
“Yes. My father died before I could get there to say goodbye and now I can’t make it when I wanted to. Everything is such a mess. My wife and children couldn’t get on the same flight. It’s outrageously expensive to fly on a moment’s notice. And then they mess up on all of these things. I am so disgusted. I’m missing the funeral planning and my mom is there by herself having to make important decisions. This is all a nightmare.”
“I would help if I could. Do you need someone to wait so you can get onto this flight?” I asked.
“No. I have a seat on this flight. You have helped me. You didn’t treat me as if I were insane. Thanks for listening to me. I guess I’m just too worked up. Nothing is really going to make much difference at this point. What mattered most is done and I couldn’t be there.”
At this point the call is given to board the plane. We were in different boarding groups. He got onto the plane and took his seat. I took mine. When we landed, I noticed he hurriedly go off the plane in order to make his connecting flight. I said a silent prayer for him.
— ronnw
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