The “Continental”…

So, I went away for the weekend; left Friday and came back Monday, to surprise my aunt for her birthday this past Saturday, May 19th. The flight to Florida (on United Airlines) was pure hell. I won’t go into that because I don’t want to focus on the negative.

The journey from Florida to Houston (on Continental), however, was another story all together. A little boy and girl, sitting 3 or 4 rows in front of me, were making a ton of noise (as is to be expected) on the plane. I didn’t really think anything of it; I only hoped that they would soon be quiet. To me, the next moment was truly remarkable. I witnessed an older gentleman (maybe in his 60’s) stand up and with a huge, genuine smile ask the mother of these 2 little ones, aged 2-4ish), if he could give them a cookie. The mother, thankfully, allowed the man to bring out a giant bag of chocolate chip cookies and let the kids pick as many as they wanted out of the bag. Needless to say, the children quieted down and the nice man chatted them up, asking questions about their trip to Disneyland. I was so taken aback by this that I began to cry.

I know, I’m a big ole sap but I can’t help it. I love to see that kind of beauty and humanity in the world and it’s so rare these days to see something like that. In today’s impatient and rude masses, I wish I could have thanked the man for renewing my faith in people but he made his way off the plane while I sat back and let everyone go before me. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll never forget it.

Now, that’s some SERIOUS model citizenship!

5 Comments so far »

  1. Rate Me:  Add karma Subtract karma  --1

    Howie said,

    Wrote on May 24, 2007 @ 9:51 pm

    Wow.. what a true model citizen. If it were me I would have spiked the cookies with Benadryl. =)

  2. Rate Me:  Add karma Subtract karma  +5

    Johnny said,

    Wrote on May 24, 2007 @ 10:37 pm

    Considerate people on an airplane?!?!?!? Are you sure you were not hallucinating from air sickness? Perhaps s shortage of oxygen?

    This is a great story - the only luck I ever seem to have on planes is when I manage to convince the flight attendant to kick-down TWO packs of peanuts and the WHOLE can of Coke!

  3. Rate Me:  Add karma Subtract karma  +3

    monkeyshine said,

    Wrote on May 25, 2007 @ 1:08 pm

    I think Howie should have spiked the cookies. Because what we have really seen here is a moment of evil retribution.

    The “kindly” old grandfather figure did not have altruistic intentions. I am sure that he held some sort of animosity to the mother of those children. In his mind it was payback time, and this time it’s chocolate chip cookies.

    You see my friends, when you feed a child “as many cookies as they want” what you get are raging sugar maniacs. I am sure the parents of those children paid for their rambunctious behavior on the airplane…in spades.

    The ride home from the airport in the car must have been a something for the books. Think of the scene in Alien where the Alien spawn explodes from the chest of the host. I am pretty sure the children exploded from their car seats in pretty much the same fashion.

    Right now you might be wondering, who is this monkey shine? and what could he (or she) possibly know about children. Well it just so happens I spent last night at a Holiday Inn Express, and I have seen kids on TV. This makes me an expert in the field.

  4. Rate Me:  Add karma Subtract karma  +4

    enrayzee said,

    Wrote on May 28, 2007 @ 11:02 am

    Monkeyshine…Thanks for pointing out the negative in my story. As I menitoned in the first paragraph, I was trying to avoid that. I guess we need people like you (and Howie ;)in the world so we can have a website like this: one that points out both the good sides and the dark sides of people. Hmmmm…”the force”, as it were…
    Click here: L.A. Stars Wars Convention
    It ends today but if you try hard enough, you might be able to make it for the closing ceremony. You too can learn about the good side of people. Use the force, Monkeyshine…

  5. Rate Me:  Add karma Subtract karma  +0

    May 2007 Post Roundup « Model Citizenship said,

    Wrote on June 2, 2007 @ 11:22 am

    […] Surprising behavior 30,000 feet in the air […]

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