Today my thoughts went back to a plane ride I experienced a couple months ago on my way to Redding California for our famous family SHASTA TRIP. I had just got done with two weeks of doing EFY in Tacoma Washington and had to fly to Shasta cuz there was NO way I would drive 12 hrs after getting absolutely no sleep all week at EFY. Anyways I probably looked a little homeless and dead with my fluffy, satin red pillow in hand. Naturally this was a great conversation starter. This lady who was standing in front of me complimented it, commented on my look of complete exhaustion and just started talking to me about life. She (Chris) was literally one of those people that could make friends with just about anybody. So we were chatting about books we were reading, our families, our hobbies...we really just spoke until they called our flight in to be seated. And of course by coincidence our seats were right next to each other.
We then talked about her world travels to Africa, India, South America, Australia, Europe...this woman had been literally EVERYWHERE so of course I was drooling listening to all her stories. She just talked and talked about how i just need to GO. The time to travel is now and that it can be done for cheap if you budget wisely. She just kept telling me and telling me how I need to take advantage of this time of my life and learn. She told me these experiences truly shape your life and open your eyes to how other people live. They make you grateful for your circumstances and just how things could always be worse in your life so just have a good attitude and you'll get through anything. AND she told me I looked like a traveler which really made me want to switch flights immediately to Costa Rica or something.
She just was such a pleasant person. Making friends with every one. The lady next to us and her beautiful baby, the old man behind us with a cane who was struggling to walk, the male flight attendant who I'm pretty sure had a secret dream to be a Broadway star because he was VERY dramatic, the little girl who had never been on a plane before...literally everyone around her. I thought to myself I want to be like this woman. She went out of her way to show random people she cared about them. It wasn't anything huge or earth shattering but it made a difference. I saw shy people open up, people with hot tempers cool down, scared children feel at ease...all because of this one darling woman.
It just hit me that day of how often in my life I look at people and think I know what they are like so I just keep to myself. I remember looking at Chris and thinking she was this woman who was rough around the edges, who was unfriendly, and hated the world but with one word she COMPLETELY changed my impression of her and hit me like a ton of bricks how wrong I was about her. She taught me a lot that day and I don't think she even knows it or ever will. I have no way of telling her how much I appreciated my little life lesson from her that day. Her general love of people just literally moved me and made me want to be like her. So from here on out...I will not ever judge. I want to go out of my way to just befriend those around me EVERYONE. I may look weird, I may get a little embarrassed but as Papa James would say...it's better to be looked at as weird and friendly then cold and ignorant. So that is my motto for life...in any aspect. Thank you cute Chris, wherever you are, for your example and literally touching my life that day! <3
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