I composed this Sunday evening sitting in the airport. I wasn't able to post it until now.


I'm watching people at the airport and I wonder what they're like, where
they're going.

Here comes a bald, bearded man carrying a red jacket and one bag. He looks like
the outdoors type, long and once lean, though the years may have added something
extra to his middle. Maybe he's a forestry instructor at a local Community
College. Or maybe he's a lumber mill foreman from the Northwest that was here
to see his children that live with their mom.

There goes a man without glasses in a suitcoat. He has a single book in his
hand. Maybe he has a sales job for a tobacco company in North Carolina and he
was just coming here to seal a deal. Or maybe he owns a small business that
makes signs.

Here's a well-dressed African-American woman in a uniform. Perhaps she is a
part of airport security, or maybe she's a pilot. I wonder if her life has been
a hard one. I wonder if her children love her. Maybe she found a Christian man
and they've been happily married for 28 years.

Here comes a couple of younger woman, one of whom is pushing a luggage cart.
They're trying to dress with style, but it comes off a little fake. I wonder if
they're college students. I wonder what they're greatest value is. Is it boys?
Clothes? Maybe it's Jesus.

There's a woman dressed in a striped blue and white sweater shirt. She's
walking tiredly, almost aimlessly, like she's been here for a while and is just
biding her time. She has sort of big hair. I wonder how many children she has.
Or if she's married. Why is she flying alone? Does she have a family waiting
eagerly to see her? Or is she working as a receptionist at a large corporation
in Portland, living alone and with not much hope of ever being happy. But maybe
she's got a great job, a supportive family, maybe she goes to church on the
weekend. And maybe going to church really means something to her. Maybe Christ
means something to her.

There's three people rushing, running by. A man and two women. I wonder what
they're rushing for. I wonder why it's important to them. Are they going home?
Vacation? Are they going to meet family?

People, thousands of people.

Ok, let's snap out of that. I'm in a sober mood, probably because I'm not
talking much right now. That tends to put a person into solemnity.

We got bumped. For only about a three hour delay we get a free ticket. Great
deal, this is a huge blessing.