i had some time on my trip back home to do a little people watching at the airport.  When you think about it, we kind of become captives of the airlines, because we either have to wait forever or we rush to make a connecting flight.  I’m not a seasoned airline passenger. In fact I rarely travel this way.  I rarely travel, but that’s a completely different story.  Here are a few things I noticed as I waited for my time to board:

• A little tyke of about three, drops his stuffed monkey to the floor in exchange for a shiny penny he spies.  His dad picks up the monkey and they both depart with huge smiles on their faces.  
• An adorable little girl mounts her daddy’s carry on and they wheel off to their destination.
• A group of people maybe dreaming of making it big in the country music business, carry guitar cases and look slightly downcast.  I wonder how many dreams to succeed have been dashed.  
• My seat was near the wing and I was reminded of the Twilight Zone episode in which a mentally disturbed man was convinced of seeing a person on the wing as the plane soared through the clouds. I had a two hour layover so had to find a way to stay awake.  There was plenty of time to people watch.
• I ate the longest hot dog I’ve ever seen – a true Chicago chili cheese.  I know I’ll regret it.  
  There are so many people going in as many directions.  To most this might be a way of life, bustling through crowded airports.  I sympathize with them.  Haggard faces, tired bodies, rushing to a connecting flight.
• On board the plane home.  We’re delayed due to weather.  Time to think of all kinds of possibilities.  An elderly gentlemen asks if he can use the rest room and the steward asks for the secret password.  A look of confusion creeps into his face as she opens the door for him.  I sit between a middle aged man who says nothing during the entire trip and a young girl not more than twenty who appears terrified as we finally take off.  Each bump through the clouds sends her on an emotional roller coaster.  We are told there is some weather in Minneapolis and we could be in for a rough ride.  
• An attractive woman on the other side of the plane softly sings some spiritual song.  Her voice is as pure as an angel’s. 
• A man opens his Bible and reads, followed by apparent silent prayers.  
• I open my Bible app and follow suit.  

  We live in a world where it often seems we are miles apart from one another and then you observe things like this where strangers strike up conversations – you can actually see the stress in some of their eyes – you realize that we are all pretty much the same.  Humanity can some days seem cruel and heartless, but some of us share a common bond and then you see we are no different than one another.  As we departed the plane, a hefty older woman began to say, “God bless you!” As silent smiles revealed their appreciation.  Even though we can be made to believe that people don’t pay much attention to each other, we can rest in the fact that God is always with us, giving us His assurance all the way.