THE PLANE WAS LATE

 [Today is the feast of Pentecost. As a change of pace - instead of a homily - last night I decided on writing a story to try to capture a few of the themes in today's readings. Come Holy Spirit!]

He had been thinking - and imaging - and picturing - and planning  - for weeks now - how he’d be home for Memorial Day Weekend - back  to the States - back in his own house with mom and dad and family - back in his own bed - home - home for his baby sister’s wedding - on  Memorial Day Weekend.

But it looked like it might not happen….

All kinds of planes -  from all around the world were grounded in Frankfurt, Germany and a dozen other airports in Europe.

They were stuck. After they landed - and some with difficulty - they couldn’t take off. They were just sitting there on airport tarmacs and at terminals all around  Europe.

And it wasn’t because of terrorists - or the weather. It was because of a major European computer breakdown - meltdown - overload - all over Europe. It happened that Thursday - on his way home from Afghanistan to Frankfurt, Germany to Dulles Airport in Virginia.

There he was stuck in an airport  - in a terminal - in Frankfurt, Germany - in his military fatigues - all by himself - with an enormous grouping of people from all over the world.

Cell phones - I-phones - Blackberries, monitors - TV sets - were all down. It was a major glitch that "gicked" up everything - along with lights and electrical systems. Everything had become interconnected - and therefore over dependent on computers - and computers controlled everything -  radar, electrical systems, etc. etc. etc. - lots of etceteras.

He parked himself on the floor against a wall and he began watching how human beings responded and dealt with adversity - and how people treated one another  -  when in adversity.

As a Marine - as someone who was in some horrible situations in Iraq and now in Afghanistan - this was nothing.

He began to notice the crush or the rush in the spirit of people in the big airport terminal - people who differed in outfits, suits, dresses, robes - headgear - skin color - weight - age - language and luggage.

Some people let their grouch out with growls; some people were reaching out to help other people - especially mothers and grandmothers with little children.

He tried to nap - but it was too noisy. Besides that -  kids would bump into him and others - while playing games - while adults were doing other things. Some people would yell and get angry  for being bumped or woken up - and some people would give the kid who fell into them a smile or a piece of gum or candy.

He wondered what he’d be like if and when he became a parent.

He took his computer from out his pack. The battery was good. He began typing down observations in the Word Processor part of his computer - questions and comments about what he saw in front of him - and what was going on around him.

Question: “Is an airport a microcosm of this whole world of ours?”

Comment and question:  “There are two kinds of people: those with a good spirit and those with a bad spirit. Is it as simple as that?”

Comment and question: “Mom - and especially dad - were always so, so patient. Is that why all five of us kids are known to be such easy going persons?”


Question: "Do all babies speak the same language?"

“Comment: "There are two kinds of people: those who share what they have with others and those who keep what they have to themselves.”

Comment: "There are complainers and there are those who can adjust to what they cannot contain or control.”

Question and comment: "Who said language was a barrier? It looks to me that people who want to communicate with people find ways to communicate with other people. Nemo problema. And smiles are a great way to start.”

Comment: “There are readers of books and readers of people. It looks like all those in the terminal who  are reading have old fashioned books and magazines and newspapers. I wonder how many have Kindles and Nooks."

Question and comment: “Did that fight over there start because someone asked someone if they could take their stuff off the empty seat next to them? It looks like there are three kinds of people: those who won't move their stuff; those who move their stuff so   others can sit; and those who get up and give their seat to a mom with a child or to an older person?”

Comment: "There are watch watches and people who use their cell phones for keeping time. Now that cell phones are down, they have to ask the watch watchers for the time. It’s interesting how some people are more time conscious than other people.”

Comment: "It’s out of my hands whether I’ll get home for my baby sister’s wedding or not - so time will tell.”

Comment: "There are touchers and there are people who never touch the other person. Interesting.”

Question: "Is that guy over there on his lap top - the guy who is looking around -  is he like me -  jotting down what he’s seeing? Oops I think he’s watching me? Look he just smiled.”

Question: "Is this what novelists or artists do: go to public places and watch and listen to others.”

Question: "Does God watch everything we do?”

Question: "How does prayer work? If I pray, will God speed up the solution to this mess?”

Comment: "I don’t know. I’ve heard that the Al Qaeda pray every morning to kill us in Afghanistan. I pray to God to get them to change their minds. Yet, I don’t know how prayer works.” He paused and thought some more. Then he jotted down: “Lord, please give patience to the men and women working right now to fix all these computer problems.”

Comment: "Hope they don’t run out of toilet paper. Thank God the toilets flush. But it is getting a bit hot in here - without air conditioning - and it looks like airport windows don’t have ways they can be opened.”

He began thinking about the war in Afghanistan. Question: “Two hundred years from now, will what we did there have an impact on their national life?”

He had read a book called, The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad. It gave him a glimpse of how women were treated there by the Taliban. "When we get out, will the Taliban spirit and take on life crush women’s education and freedom gains?"  That book gave him one more reason for being in Afghanistan - but he asked himself, "Can we be the world’s police - and democratizers - and protectors? Big questions. Big questions."

He thought about his future: marriage, family, job, what have you. He tried some sleep again  - and this time it came. His big military duffle bag and pack made a good pillow.

Suddenly he woke up to the sounds of overwhelming cheers and clapping. People were  standing up and hugging each other and gathering their stuff. Lights were going on. Monitors were starting to post schedules and timetables. "It looks like we’re back in business."

"It looks like I’m going to get home for my sister’s wedding." He tried his cell phone. It wasn’t working yet. Everyone else was doing the same thing. Some cursed in a spirit of frustration; others seemed calm and cool - knowing in time - all will be well once again.

Then he noticed someone on a cell phone and she was talking to someone somewhere - and she wasn’t speaking English. As she talked - he understood by her gestures and her smile - that she was happy. Things were good - and she’d be where she was headed to real soon - to share in the reality of whomever she was talking to.

Just then his phone went off - and he was talking to his sister. “I might be late, but I’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss your wedding for the world. Save me a big piece of cake and a big hug and a prayer and please say a prayer for me.”