Kindness: An Irish Blessing

There are some people in this world who are nice because they are taught to be nice to others, and others who are nice because it’s simply their nature. In America, we’re nice – on occasion – because we’re told to be. The Irish are nice because it’s their nature.

Let me start by saying that I love my country. There is no where else I’d rather live than in the U.S.A. (ok, actually, that’s debatable, but it’s not because I don’t love my country). I’m proud and honored to be an American. Never was that clearer than at the Shannon, Ireland, airport on Tuesday, June 24, when hundreds of U.S. soldiers marched passed travelers to board their flight to somewhere. As they walked through the airport, people waved, children saluted and I was overcome with emotion. Maybe they were off to serve their next tour of duty, or maybe they were heading home – either way, they were proud, and I was proud of them.

But while in Ireland, I discovered something about my country: we’re downright rude. Sure, there are sweet people in middle America who bake cookies and serve as Little League coaches or Den Mothers for the Girl Scout troops, but that doesn’t make them ‘nice.’ Continue Reading…

The View from Flight 132

The sun, the moon and the North Star

Remember when we were young and airplanes were a fantasy ride? We idolized the pilots that manned our ship in the sky and when the flight attendants handed us our plastic wings, we felt like one of the crew.

Remember when you could walk into the cockpit and meet the pilot? The perfectly-dressed flight attendant would take your hand and lead you into the unknown- the little room where the pilot and co-pilot sat and watched the world from their front-row seats. And for one brief moment, you were allowed to witness the same view.

I remember that age of airline innocence, and longed for it when Aer Lingus Flight 132 took me above the clouds and over Iceland, where the horizon dropped and the moon, sun and stars showed existed in the same window pane. Continue Reading…

Baggage.

I was on my way to Europe last month – a trip that had produced the same amount of excitement as it did anxiety. We booked our travels to Paris, Amsterdam and Bruges with anticipation, but only a week after we paid the final amount due, my travel gal pal fell victim to the economy and lost her job. Unfortunately, travel insurance doesn’t cover job loss so we regrouped, repacked and focused on the trip at hand. We were going to Europe – everything else would work itself out when we returned.

I arrived at the British Airways counter at Logan International Airport to check-in with plenty of time to spare. As a traveler by trade and leisure, I’ve become a pro at packing. I can fit just about anything into a carry-on piece of luggage and I approach my packing with a simple philosophy: if I can fold it, I can pack it. My carry-on bag has traveled with me on domestic and international flights over the past year – it’s a lovely light-blue companion that is never far away. I reach into the overhead compartment and all of my belongings are accessible.

You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at the check-in desk and the attendant said, “Oh, that bag will never fit in the overhead compartment. We’ll have to check it.”

What? Continue Reading…