The end of one thing is almost invariably the beginning of another. Nothing reminds me of this more pointedly than time spent at the airport. People are jammed into this microcosm of hurry-up-and-wait, playing out every aspect of plodding patience and spiky urgency, of rabid determination and aimless uncertainty, on the spectrum ranging from action to stasis.
It’s easy to forget, when one is in the Infinite Queue that always precedes ticket purchase, baggage checking or security examinations, never mind plane boarding, that even the most extreme globe-spanning flights comprise in reality a very small portion of one’s entire life span (one hopes). Even easier to become so focused on the specific trip being taken at the moment that one will be leaving many places yet to journey to others, long after the current sojourn is a distant memory. Every one of the departures and arrivals may have its own significance, indeed, but each is only a passing event in a longer timeline.
Perspective is difficult to achieve and even harder to maintain. To go toward one loved person or place demands that we leave another behind. This is how we will always be, one foot planted and reluctant to move from where we have been and the other striving to move us toward the new, our hearts and minds leaning forward or back but seldom willing to hold still right where we are. And it isn’t such a bad thing, at that. It’s how we grow and change and find new loves, none of which can happen without taking the occasional flying leap, whether it’s on an aircraft or strictly metaphorical. Time flies, but so can we.
Art-Colored Glasses 
My husband travels every week for business and is all too accustomed to the hurry up and wait waste of time. He finds it extremely tiring too. I do love your perspective though Kathryn.
š Mandy
Sometimes traveling through life is just as confusing and frustrating as traveling between earthly locations. Thank goodness both have enough worthwhile destinations and connections to keep us going through the crazy parts!
xoxo
Kathryn
Having just returned from a cross-country trip with two layovers each way, your analogy here spoke volumes to me. There is something about travel that puts one in a different state of mind, beyond the normal routines to potential places of growth and change. Good writing for our reflection!
Since we’re currently amid our plane-train-automobile hopping phase of our travels, I’m reminded very pointedly of how hard it is to keep a healthy perspective when the aggravating factors are working so hard to choose our perspective *for* us. My natural impatience wants to take over!
Very cleverly written, Kathryn. Your title alone speaks volumes.
Perhaps you’re not old enough to remember. When I was a young boy, it was considered a real treat to go out to the airport and have Sunday breakfast — after Mass, of course — and watch the planes. Travel by air was a treat then, and a very real part of the holiday. Now it’s something to be endured. What a shame!
I couldn’t agree more. Remembering how everybody got dressed up for travel and the meals were served on real, breakable dishes and with metal cutlery (including *knives*), and all of the wonders that it entailed, makes me a little bit wistful, to be sure.
Travel has changed so much over the years…the getting to where you are going part is NOT pleasurable anymore. It used to be a fun part of the adventure but now it is real work.
So true! It’s a whole lot harder to keep up the ideal of the journey being as important as, if not more so than, the destination nowadays. Good thing the destination still has enough allure to pay off the trials of the trip!
Yes, time flies. No sooner than all garbage is gathered & put out for collection, it’s time to repeat the process, to wind the clocks, go to the grocery, fill the liquid soap containers, to pass into the next realm of existence. Thank you for the airport flight reminder, KIWS. You’re a real good flight instructor…
We’ll see just how I manage on tomorrow’s leg of the flying trip this time around. Very glad it’s only a short flight this time. š
So interesting to read Your post. I have worked at airport nearly forty years and thus seen many kinds of airplanes and much more what happened there.
I’m quite sure that anyone who has spent as much time working at airports for so many years must have endless stories to tell! Thank you for reading this, my friend!