I hear my name being
mispronounced over the airports loud speaker as I race down the concourse
anxiously scanning the gate numbers. The wheeze of my breath and pain in my
chest annoyingly remind me of my body’s need for exercise. I round the corner
and see the gate attendant waving me onto the airplane. Winded, relieved, and
sweaty, I collapse into my chair, push my Devyn Bag underneath the seat in
front of me, and say to nobody in particular, “I can’t believe that I made it!”
In all the years of what feels
like endless business travel, one would think I would be used to this, but somehow
I’m not. I shut my eyes, try to find my Zen spot, and hear the high-pitched and
deafening shriek of the toddler sitting in front of me. My eyes pop open just
in time to catch a flight attendant rolling his eyes in obvious irritation followed
by a nearby passenger’s loud and unabashedly indiscreet telephone discussion
complaining about the “screaming child” on the airplane. I look over at the passenger next to me, and see anger written on her face as well.
I feel the tension around me, and apparently so does the child’s mother, as
her words of threat and punishment boom for all to hear. It seems that she is
making a valiant effort to appease the judges that surround her. I catch a
glimpse of her mortified expression, and I feel instant empathy.
My children are generally quite
good traveling on airplanes, as the excitement of the journey and an array of
new toys (always a must for long travel) seems to appease, but I know the
realities of traveling with children. Despite our best attempts to pacify, our
children have minds of their own, and there are days when nothing works. This
is what pervades my thoughts as I inspect the blatant and infuriated reactions
of the passengers and flight crew. In truth, I would prefer to fly in peace and
quiet too, and I can understand that a 2 hour flight with a screaming child is
tough on the nerves. I also understand that many passengers are far from their
child raising years. However, it is really so hard to sympathize? Is it truly such
a formidable task to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes?
Then it strikes me that the child
has calmed. The screeches that permeated the beginning of the flight have
subsided, and yet, the flight attendant continues to joke about the howling
child as he hands drinks to the passengers. The passengers encourage this by eagerly
engaging in the banter. I glance over at the mother of the child in question
and see her look of embarrassment. Now I’m mad. I want to shout: Have some compassion!
Have some respect!
Traveling with young children is tense,
and it is rarely without its challenges. I for one have no desire to make it
more stressful by adding insult into the equation. Instead, I believe that we
should offer our admiration for mothers and parents everywhere that choose to
give their children the gift of travel. We should appreciate the brave parents
that offer their children the experience of other destinations and cultures. After
all, not everyone has the luxury of travel. Let’s support their efforts to
enrich their children’s lives. Let’s support them, and remember that we have
all been there.
Embrace Your MOMentum
If you’d like to share your story, email us at info@devynbag.com
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