Meandering Thoughts (#20)

On the flight down, there was a debacle with my row,
and I ended up losing my spot by the window.
To prevent further delay, I did not argue, and got stuck with a broken tray.
I guess "no good deed goes unpunished".

Good to know.

Well, half that statement is true.
I am working on the other half.

Last weekend, I did not blog. My eldest daughter had a dance competition in Orlando, Florida. Although there was plenty of downtime, I was traveling solo. While I did spend four hours on Sunday walking around Disney Springs and riding the boat between it and a resort, there is only so much to do when you are alone. I could have blogged, or written some fiction, but I was not in the mood. Instead, I read a book on my Kindle. It would have been a good opportunity to start a new novel or work of non-fiction. However, I was looking for comfort, so I resorted to my trusty standby: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It did not disappoint, though, I must confess, with each retreading, I find it losing some of its original luster. 

Anyway, that was last week. My daughter had a great time, and, unlike the year before, did not return home wracked with sickness. I am happy for her, and proud of all that she accomplished. Also, the first night down there, a group of ladies invited me out to dinner. While the food was fine, the company more than made up for it. And just to be included felt wonderful. It made all the little setbacks encountered up to that moment, worth it. In addition, I am an introvert, and struggle to converse with people. One of my goals for this solo trip was to exit my comfort zone, and engage people first. Most of the time it was with other parents on my daughter's dance team, although, in my defense, I was not familiar with the majority of them. However, while riding about on shuttles, standing in line for a boat, sitting on a bench eating a BBQ brisket sandwich, and Ubering about, I did strike up conversations with strangers. Occasionally, they consisted of mere pleasantries, and a few times they fell entirely flat. It felt awkward and embarrassing, but I pressed onward.

Still, thanks to my charm and perseverance, and some dumb luck, I experienced some memorable moments with a handful of strangers. Out of the six different Uber drivers, all were kind and helpful, but three of them went further, and shared their life stories as they answered my questions. While in line for the boat ride back from Port Orleans to Disney Springs, I struck up a conversation with a mother and her middle-aged son who were in Orlando for soccer tournaments. They were straight out of a television show--quite entertaining. 

Finally, as if to wrap it all up, the longest interaction with a stranger arrived the morning of my departure. The sky was threatening rain, and I was standing at the bus stop, waiting for my ride back to the airport. Having arrived early, I found myself first in line, and alone. Then a group of high school girls arrived with their four female chaperones. One of the women was talkative, and as she said something to no one in particular, I responded. Thus began a twenty-minute conversation between the two of us, that did not end, despite the drizzle, until the bus finally arrived. 

Okay, luck definitely played a part. She was anxious about flying. I heard all about the reason. Spending an entire five-hour flight to a vacation spot vomiting and suffering from vertigo could do traumatize anyone. When I am nervous, I tend to talk excessively, too. Also, the two Xanax pills she took, when she first showed up, began working its magic. In addition, her companions were still sleepy, and this woman was on her second cup of coffee. Perhaps I was the only one awake enough to listen to her. Finally, when I am listening, my attentiveness is quite clear. Who does not like a little positive attention? 

I know I enjoy it.

And that's why the early morning encounter with the nervous stranger from Louisiana was just the sendoff I needed. The bus ride to the airport was painless. Okay, I got a little lost in the Orlando airport, but a kind security guard set me on the right path. I did not have to check my carry-on bag this time. My row companions were pleasant enough, especially since they slept most of the flight. I got my window seat. We arrived in Newark thirty minutes ahead of schedule. My car ride home was uneventful. And I capped it all off with a dinner of Chinese takeout with my wife and two daughters.

I guess caring has its perks...

And perhaps this blogging thing is still worth it.