CHAPTER 6 - AIRBORNE
My flights to and from Asia, and sometimes for destinations in the United States, typically involve an adventure of some sort. Flying to China this time around was no exception. I like window seats on airplanes and had one for the domestic portion of my trip—the flight from Allentown Pennsylvania to Chicago. I'm not very comfortable with high places but as long as a flight attendant is nearby I enjoy looking out the window. If they put airplane windows on high mountains I think I would be fine--but I would still need someone offering me beverages or little bags of pretzels just like they do in economy class, the way monks usually fly.
The seat next to me was empty, and the third seat over next to the aisle was occupied by a kindly-looking Korean man dressed in a business suit. He was about fifty years of age and seemed to be a gentle spirit. It’s probably the only thing that saved him! A tall lady with a tower of blonde hair put some items into the overhead compartment and then flung something down on the seat next to me. I looked down and, to my horror, a furry black thing looked back at me with enormous coal-black eyes. It quivered like a bowl full of electrified licorice. I tried to jump up but my seat belt prevented me from doing so. This was probably for the best because I would have bumped my head.
“Oh she won’t hurt you,” explained the fifty-something year old lady as she picked “Precious” up and settled herself into the seat next to me. She asked the flight attendant for a bowl of water and proceeded to take her own medications and then give some of it to Precious. I’m not a big fan of pharmaceutical medications but know that they have their place and help many people. My personal preference, both for wellness and therapeutic treatment, is nutraceuticals—medications made from natural ingredients like herbs, vitamins, minerals, and whole foods. Just because something is natural doesn’t mean that it can’t harm you, but my reading of the scientific literature suggests to me that risks are much lower with natural products, but I digress.
My seat mate asked me if I was retired—which implied, at least to me, that she thought I was old. I told her that I was not retired. When she asked what I did for a living I did not want to get into a health-related discussion, so I did the logical thing—I told her that I worked in a sauerkraut factory. I don’t think she totally bought the idea but it didn’t stop her from talking. I came to learn that Precious was a “trained therapy dog—but I didn’t take her to the classes.” Maybe the little beast got her “training” online!
After being airborne for about an hour, the woman next to me got up to use the restroom. In the process she knocked Precious’ water bowl all over the Korean gentleman in the aisle seat. He stood up and, in a very dignified way, dried himself off while smiling politely. In the process Precious hopped onto my lap as her mistress was saying, “Stay Precious.”
“You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all,” I responded, while mentally practicing my hand at heaving Precious into first class if the need arose.
About an hour later I stood up to use the restroom. This time I was the one who knocked Precious’ water all over the Korean man. He stood up and dried himself off once again, but it was easy to see that his smile took more of an effort this time around. Several people in the airplane gasped when the second drenching occurred and one woman whispered in New York-accented English, “Ya know, they must be takin’ turns.” I was so startled by what I did that I didn't say anything, but when I locked myself in the restroom I began to laugh uncontrollably. When we were leaving the plane, I shook the gentleman's hand and thanked him for his patience. Earlier in the flight he was speaking English but at this point he was making believe that he didn't understand the language. I suppose it was safer for him that way. Yet it made Brother Francis wonder about him.