Today, I flew back from the West Coast back home.
I stood between three people in line that were gold card-carrying disharmony members. But, I won't get into that discussion. It just made me very mindful of harmony as I walked onto the plane.
I stepped in and saw that my favorite emergency rows were taken, so I opted for a front of the plane window seat.
Everyone in the front aisle seats were senior citizens (as I was flying from Arizona), I asked to step into the window, and the larger, older woman stood up. She looked angry to have to let me in.
I paused... if I get in here, I will never get out. "It's a 4 hour flight I thought. I can sit tight." And, she had gone through the visibly difficult effort of getting up, so if I had then decided not to use that seat, she might have smacked me.
So, I hurried to put my small bag up top, and put my large back pack below my feet.
A few minutes later, another woman sat in the middle seat. "Now I am definitely stuck, I thought."
I had two issues. First, my water bottle that I had brought with me was in the small bag I had put in the overhead bin, and I was thirsty. Second, I had to go pee... so, not having access to my water seemed appropriate.
I was amused by my mindfulness of harmony. Every time I saw a stewardess pass, I considered asking for my water. It never seemed to work. They were always carrying something.
So, I would bounce between wishing I could get my water, or going to the bathroom... and settling in to my "IS" - I am stuck and I have no water... and it's not a very long flight. You can hold out. I'd be fine, then I'd see an opportunity and start wishing and then I'd settle back in. I smiled at my own silly thoughts and at the trivial harmony sequence I was living.
It helped perhaps that I was reading the book, Why Buddhism is True. (I will write about that book separately... AWESOME!)
Anyway, I was productive and more comfortable than I expected and I made it the whole flight.
As we prepared to land, I thought about flying. It happens to me on almost every flight that I look out the window and am just amazed by man's intelligence and innovativeness. An average commercial plane weighs between 450,000 and 550,000 kilograms. That is approximately 5,500-6,500 people flying at the same time. Or, a large building flying through the air. It never ceases to amaze me. I remember the flight many years ago, when my fellow engineer, Alex Bijelic, explained the concept of lift and the basic science of flight. The wonder of flight amazes me everytime - and even more so when I think that the "jet technology" that planes use to fly was developed 80 years ago.
Anyway, I was pleased with myself that I don't take the wonder of flying for granted. I felt grateful... and mindful for mankind and capitalism.
As we landed, I thought about the number of flights that land safely everyday... over 28,000 flights per day... landing safely over and over and over again...
I thought about the people on the planes, angry that a flight is late by a few minutes, or by the person who is slow getting off the plane, or about the flight attendant that didn't bring their coffee, or about the fact that they couldn't serve peanuts because someone had an allergy, or because some of the older people who got pre-boarding didnt really need it... So many reasons for anger, frustration... disharmony... So many trivial reasons...
And, yet they fly across the country in a plane the size of a building, and land safely... and that does not register in their minds.
We take so much in life for granted. We react so emotionally to so many details that don't matter...
I was grateful to be back in Baltimore.
And, to be able to get to the Men's room.
I drank my water bottle quickly... I needed that!
I had a great flight... reading about Buddhism, listening to the story of Pixar, and mindful of all that IS...
Trying to take little for granted...
in harmony,
Nestor