Yonder

Some things I take for granted. My freedom. My ability to go to college. My special heritage. My luck with that extra chicken nugget in my little cardboard box to go. But today, I had the opportunity to soak in and relish in my privilege to travel.

I got on the plane, not expecting much as usual, to get crammed next to, "Randy." Randy, the ultimate business jet-setter, pecked away at his laptop keyboard and made numerous phone calls back-to-back without ever hitting the end button. He elbowed me in the side as he was reaching for ink pens, business cards, an extra stylus, whatever. He spoke loudly but fluently as people on the other end of the phone seemed to respect whatever wish he spoke.

However, behind me was, I'll call them Barb and John. Barb fidgeted and tittered with her husband, asking this and wondering that. Once the flight took off, Barb burst into a ball of happiness as she blurted out "Oh my goodness! Isn't this exciting? This is my first time leaving Atlanta...!"

I looked out the window as the sun, barely breaking the horizon line, adorned with a rich, sultry red. The clouds, one solid mass wisping and gathering to the west, started in a rich honey yellow and spectrumed out to a deep, sultry violet. Stars sprinkled about, twinkled and glistened as they seemed to play a game of hide and seek; and the city lights in the distance flickered as if to decide if to ask "Is it dark enough, yet?"

Drinking in the beauty of the skies above, I closed my book and stared wistfully out the window. I wondered how many times have I seen this scene and not taken it in? Was I this aware when I flew to New York? Minneapolis? St. Louis? Chicago? Is there possibly a way to bottle this euphoria up and put it on a shelf for a day where I'm feeling selfish and doubtful?

I wonder if "Randy" ever saw things the way I saw them today. Granted he probably didn't because I know my big head was in the way. But I'd hope to remain wide-eyed and hopeful like "Barb" was; unawares to the hum-drum normalcy of on again/off again flight patterns, meeting requests and endless conference calls. Things such as this, make you jaded and bitter. And I'd rather go up yonder before I turn into that.