A Hug to Remember

Not 'love actually' but more....

My travel back to my Aussie home after meeting Henry T  was like most travels. Tiresome. The 30 hours of auto, shuttles, planes, trains, waiting lines and delays wasn't the worse experience of my life. Nothing compares to the climb up a Kodiak mountain range during the fall in high grass  praying for dear life that a bear wasn't in the thick looking for yummy dollar (that's another story) as well. It is just that travel days in general just make you tired. Plus you know the effects of strain on you body will not immediately go away. Every now and then a strange and wonderful moment takes place. Recognizing it at first is difficult because of the probabilities is that most moments during a travel day are just norms of unrelenting dramas that you just take a drink  or an ibuprofen to make go away.

I had a moment that I cannot stop thinking about and I am trying to allow the moment to stay with me. It was so simple a moment but yet so warm, so inviting that it left me wanting more.

It was a hug.

My journey to the hug started long ago. I still haven't decided when but I know it must have been long ago because I can't remember this type of hug from a complete stranger before. Yes, hugs have come and gone. Most are wonderful due to the people embracing me. Some are casual, almost uncomfortable, last too long and non-warranted. The travel day hug was one to remember. Almost like the hug unsolicited from a small child or maybe the gratitude hug given after a gift exchange when you just made someone's day better. Still, even those hugs which are memorable are not of the same caliber. Of course the rating is all subjective.

The time sitting at terminal B, gate 133 at LAX extended from just an hour wait to almost a 3 hours. The attendants at the gate kept us informed with each delay. First there was a departure delay for the Brisbane flight sitting at the gate. My flight to Sidney wasn't even listed on the gate monitor. It was a little confusing because I recognized others that were to fly at the same time just lingering around as well. So of course, I walked the concourse. Finally when that plane left and I saw the Sidney flight listed, I found a seat  in between a few people on a large comfy ottoman in the middle of the concourse. Every now and then we would all turn our heads in the direction of the attendants announcing several times each time a new delay took place. Then came the waiting for the plane to arrive, and the getting those off the plane delay. With each announcement, people were starting to lay on the floors near the gate desk. The area started to look like a mini tent city without the tents.

As those of us on the comfy ottoman waited and watched, we began to converse the small talk of travelers. What takes you to Sidney? How long will you be there? Oh, you live there...for how long? Small talk. One of the young girls to my left was drawing so I commented on her art and showed her mine via my blog. Here was the beginning of my hug without even a clue it had begun. Our connection was simple. Just two people with about 45 years difference sharing a love for drawing. She was very good. Then her mother beside her began to engage me.

It seems that as though most of us were paying close attention to when our flight would board and take us down under that there was a family of four dealing with whether they had a seat or not. Here it was midnight and this mother was sitting calmly watching her 24 year old talking to the attendants at the gate. Her two daughters somewhere between 12 to 16 were being relaxed even though the evident tension of the situation was seen on the mother. I decided to ask. The story was that they bought their tickets from a private agent but when they got to the airport, they were not assigned seats and the plane evidently full. The next day flight was even full. Here she was taking her children to see her sister living down under for 17 days and now was being told they may not have a seat.

I said I am so sorry.....but then I changed my verbiage changing it to I am so sad this is happening to you. Saying 'I am sorry' implies I did something but I had no participation in this event. At this point I decided to just listen and encourage the mother that it may work out because it looked as though the son was doing well being an advocate for his family. He wasn't smiling much....

At some point I disengaged. I had too. There was nothing I could do for them but just think of them in prayer. At some point, they called for passengers to board. I looked around and did not see the family. Maybe they got a hotel, maybe they returned home, maybe they got a seat. I just felt bad for them but also knew I had a 13 hour plane ride and a 3 hour train ride back home ahead of me.

Selfish.....maybe.

The plane was stuffed to capacity. It was long but I slept. My neighbors were two millennials who were probably not ready to be chatty with an old lady from the U.S. The young lady to my right hugged herself up to the window like I was a leaper. She looked as though everything she owned was snugged into every crevasse she could use as long as the attendants didn't see it.  A big hoodie jacket surrounded her. Piercing, tattoos, jewelry adorned her. Not once did I ever see her leave her seat during the entire flight. Yes, I got up several times but she was always hugging the window and asleep when I returned. The young man on the left was kind but kept his earphones in. Didn't say much and helped me when I asked him to grab my bag above or put it away. Believe me, I hate asking anyone to do anything for me, but this was cramped confines and no room for even a purse under the seat in front of you. He slept hard. The first time I needed to get up, I couldn't wake him. I finally grabbed the seats on both front and back of us and leaped. After all, I am an Iron-woman.....

We landed. As I was collecting my things, eating the tangerines quickly that I wasn't suppose to bring into Australia, and changing my SIM card out on my phone.....I started to think about the family who just wanted to come to Australia to visit family for the holidays.

Then as I came off the plane, and turned the first corner......there they were. The mother saw me coming and stood up from where she had been sitting. The son just smiled the biggest smile that I have seen in a long time. They all had got on board and actually had better seats than mine. As I got closer to them, I yelled out...."you made it!!!" The mother came up to me and just hugged me. I don't think I will ever forget that hug. Simple. Close.

Now, You might be wondering why that moment was so special. Doesn't everyone meet strangers and have exchanges like this.....

Not in today's world.

The thing that made it unique for me was that I opened myself up to a family that didn't look like people I have been around most of my life. If I had met them anywhere else, I may have been weary of them. They were of middle eastern descent. Stereotypical looking immigrants from possibly a country that many of the people I know including myself may judge wrongly. I may still do this to many degrees.

But for this one moment.....in time....in a situation that was beyond our making.....we engaged. And I will never forget her face nor her son's smile. I did not write this to create a discussion on race or bigotry. I wrote this to acknowledge my own personal failings as well as my continued discovery that I can be better than what social media, news outlets and others try to label me.

My Gottschalk Replica

Horst Gottschalk "Big Wave with Ship"

Sharie's Replica "Big Wave with Ship" 2018

            Day 1

       Day 2

            Day 3

           Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Finale

More ART by Sharie

Landscapes

Stockton

Newcastle Beach

Kodiak Island

Denali

Be careful what you call your dog!

Today I needed the truck, so I rode with Chris to drop him off at work and will pick him up later when he is off. Bodhi and Bella get to ride with us on these mornings and I allowed Bella to sit on my lap on the passenger side. I know that isn't the best way for her to travel but I do it sometimes. She gets to view her domain. Bodhi just likes to lay down and be with her pack.

This morning I had my black yoga pants on, a gray shirt and grabbed my light black jacket. Then of course I was wearing dark sunglasses as the sun was definitely out in full force. Standard dress for a woman barely awake and a little chilly with the air conditioner on.

We chatted on the way as I noted how attentive Bella was to everything we passed. As we neared the military gate entry, I patted Bella on the head and spoke softly that she needed to keep her cool. Last time she gave out little barks at the guard looking at Chris's ID to allow us on base so I wanted to try to eliminate that this time. We are moving to Australia and will be leaving downtown so I am attempting to curve her behavior.

Previously, Chris would always show his retired military ID and the gate guards would always salute him since he is a retired officer. Lately, Chris has been just showing his contractor ID and here at this base, they do not normally ask for my ID. It seems to be different at every base.

But today was much more interesting.....

Bella is a Jack Russell Terrier and we have teased on many occasions that she is a Jack Russell "Terrorist" because of her very aggressive bullying of Bodhi. Bodhi normally handles her well and will stop her bullying when Bodhi has had enough. We joke about it and have even used the term Terrorist to describe her such as saying "yeah, we have a little J R terrorist but we still love her".....

So we pull up, Chris hands the guard his contractor ID, and of course Bella lets out a little bark. I pet her while at the same time Chris says to the guard, "Yeah, she's a terrorist".

Then of course, the guard looks at me, then at Chris and asks...."Do you have another ID"?.....Then he asks me for mine while he says....."Do either of you have a retired military ID"?

I hand him mine and he lets us through.

Then it occurred to me......Did he think Chris was referring to Bella or ME? LOL....

I look at my side mirror and I see a blond with dark clothing and dark sun glasses! Then I giggle to Chris that maybe we should not call Bella a Terrorist anymore and maybe I should wear more colors.

My Mom's Stories

3_15_2018

Guess what? Matt Damon is moving to Australia to...Chris will be so happy

Byron Bay, New South Wales

Tweety Bird

He knows. MD will be 5 hours away.

Will probably never see him

Hahahahaha

Tweety Bird

But we will invite him over for beers and shrimp on the Barbie. Then maybe proselytize home to the right

I will have to tell u one day about our adventure with a bag boy in a grocery store

Tweety Bird

oh....?

He was trying his best to get past me to speak to Em and I wasn’t even aware that was what he was doing...Em and I really had a laugh over that

Tweety Bird

Did you keep talking to him? Or did you just trip him?

Neither...he was bagging and told me he would take my stuff out

I told him that’s ok, em can take it out

Then on and on about how he needed to take them

Tweety Bird

Oh.....so what did you do? Let him take them?

And I even told him look...we have a pit bull with us today, you don’t need to be opening the back of that SUV

Tweety the shopping cart back in

So I relented as long as he let em open the back and he handed her the stuff

Tweety Bird

At least he is the working kind

and he called you maa

It didn’t even hit this old granny that he really just wanted to talk with em until I was at the door and they were just chatting away

Tweety Bird

well.....I bet you won't miss those cues next tim

Nope