Waiting

There was a time when going to pick up a person at the airport meant standing at a gate, eagerly awaiting a single person from a stream of those getting off an airplane.

Now, I stand here at an apparently much safer distance. There is a wall of glass keeping me from trying to slip past security and I watch throngs of people pass by, trying to guess where one flight stops and another starts.

I guess I should consider myself lucky, my kids today are my age they probably won't be allowed within 3 miles of the airport without a ticket.

The sounds in the airport seem almost futuristic. Sure, there's the reapting announcement every few minutes telling me to not leave my baggage alone. But that's just the start. There is a movie on continous loop being presented on large screen TV, reminding me that I can't bring sharps aboard the plane. The voice of the movie is low and calm, as if every measure must be taken to avoid stress. Most earily is the swooshing sound being made as each indvidual is scanned with a burst of air (presumbly for bomb making material). The whole scene feels like I'm waiting in line at the Mission to Mars ride at Disney World.

Shira just called - she landed. I better stop writing now, or she'll be in an instant bad mood...

--Ben