Pacing - it's all I can do right now. Luckily, I had a filling lunch, so I won't need to eat here.
A baby crawls in the opposite direction of my pacing, past a cute girl seated at my gate. The baby laughs as her father tries to keep up. It must make him sick that his not-yet-walking daughter's little hands are mopping up the heavily trodden, matted airport carpet, but he's laughing too. Maybe he's just happy because his baby's happy.
I used to enjoy pacing by people on payphones, wondering about the content of their conversations. Now everyone's on cell phones and I could care less what any of them are saying. On payphones, people always seemed to speak in muffled tones, not wanting others to overhear. But on cell phones everyone talks too loud.
I'm getting hungry in spite of myself. Since I had that big lunch, I should seek out something light, something healthy, like fruit salad or one of those little yogurts with the crunchy stuff in a plastic container on top - is it granola?
I order a Polish sausage on a pretzel roll from Usinger's. With potato chips. No sooner than I finish the last delicious bite do I see the cute girl from my gate buy a fruit salad cup from the coffee shop. That's what I should've done.
The tv at the gate shows President Obama complaining that Congress voted down his bill without anyone making any coherent arguments against it. I suppose nobody told him that people don't have to make coherent arguments anymore to get what they want.
Aha! The cute girl didn't get just a fruit salad after all - I see her eating a wrap at the gate. No idea what kind of wrap it is, but watching her eat it makes me feel better about myself. Besides, I think I worked off at least a couple bites of that Polish sausage doing all of this pacing. Flight's about to board, but I think I have time for one more lap.
What a fun story - as a born cheesehead, I love this!
ReplyDeletePacing is good for burning calories, but it seems like anxiety burns at higher temperatures. I wish it didn't, or I'd be a much lighter man.
ReplyDeleteAirport lounges - all those people to observe or if you're lucky you can doze while you wait for your flight to board - still pacing is as good as a afternoon walk especially if you've just consumed a polish sausage ;)
ReplyDeleteI liked the narrators voice in this piece there is a tension wrapped in a coat of anxiety as he observes what's going on around him.
Funny how people who have nothing interesting or important to say tend to speak the loudest.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this piece, not a story, but more an observation very well observed!
ReplyDeleteInteresting how I'd never before thought about people using pay phones trying to be quiet, whereas with cell phones they seem to desperately need to be loud. Why is that I wonder?
ReplyDeleteA fun story that left me thinking....too much? :)
I thought this was awesome. I disagree...it was a story.
ReplyDeleteLoved the reference to cell phones vs. pay phones--astute observation. And watching what other people eat..who doesn't do that?
thank you.
LOL yeah people on payphone want privacy and the ones on cell phones couldn't care less.
ReplyDelete