Fly the Friendly Skies

I've come to learn that flying isn't so friendly anymore, regardless of what an airline tagline tells you.  More security (all to keep everyone safe, of course), more annoyed security personnel, more frustrated passengers. With time things only get worse.

Until today.

Today I took to the sky to island hop home. A flight I know well growing up in the islands. While I've never had trouble with an interisland flight per se, many other flights have left me jaded to the traveling experience. I've come to be a minimalist when it comes to social interaction. Who needs to socialize when there are so many people that are unhappy while traveling because it's such an unenjoyable experience.

Which is why I on my flight today when my seat neighbors initiated a "hello" with a smile, it made me rethink whether I should keep my headphones in my ears through the entire flight. It caught me off guard really. Usually it's so easy to ignore anyone else on the plane. (Please don't judge me if I'm the only one that thinks this way...) But today I didn't want to. 

Yeah, and I thought Aunty and Uncle (how I'll refer to them as traditional Hawaiian way for older adults...) were nice because they said "hi"? Well get this, they did something even nicer. On our 22 minute flight we're always served a little container of Hawaiian juice. I enjoyed my juice very quickly. I tried to tuck my trash in the seat pocket in front of me until the flight attendant came to collect it from me so I could quickly return to reading my magazine and listening to music. As I tucked it away, it popped right back out! Fell onto the floor. Ugh. I reach down and pick it up and try to tuck it away for a second time. Aunty intercepts. She grabs my container from my hand and puts it right on Uncle's fold-out tray. She tells me with her big smile, "No worry, he'll take care of it."

Less than 3 minutes later the flight attendant comes down the aisle with the bag for trash and Uncle tosses our juice cups. No. Big. Deal.

Eh, thanks ah, Aunty. Flying surely just got a lot friendlier and I'll remember that next time.