Angel in the Aisle Seat

Photo: Suhyeon Choi/Unsplash

It’s always comforting to see flight attendants having to shuffle select individuals into different seats because of an apparent weight distribution issue.

I get it. It’s important for the safety of all, but it always makes me feel uneasy — that is until one trip some time ago.

Back then and prior to the flight, I found myself having a bit of a mini-meltdown. I had been traveling for work, and the time away from family had been longer than usual. A work-related conversation, which had already resulted in a sleepless night, was also still replaying in my head as I wandered through the Philadelphia airport looking for my assigned gate.

As I neared the gate in Philly’s B corridor, the familiar call to board came, and I eventually took my seat in the next-to-last row by the window. For a considerable time, it appeared I might have the row to myself as the seats in front of me continued to fill up. If truth be told, I looked a bit like death warmed over, so the thought of having a row all my own was most appealing.

But then a man appeared. Mild-mannered and polite, he inquired if he could sit in the vacant seat next to me. He had apparently been asked to move from his seat a few rows ahead in order to even out the plane’s weight distribution.

“If you sitting here improves our chances of not crashing, then by all means please sit,” I said, trying to hide the fact that I had been silently crying inside moments before. He smiled and sat down.

With the weight apparently now evenly distributed, the plane pulled back from the gate, and the routine safety overview began. The man and I engaged in the standard seat-mate small-talk. Providence, Rhode Island, was his final destination, too, and we both traveled a lot for our respective jobs.

Once the plane took off and with the flight service underway, we chatted a bit more. I learned that he was in the U.S. Coast Guard and was currently heading home to Connecticut where he was overseeing a leadership development program for the USCG and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. His time with the USCG had been an adventure as he shared a few highlights of some missions. He also already had his next assignment so in few months, he would be moving again with his wife and family — this time to Virginia.

As he was speaking, a flight attendant came to offer him a larger snack for his willingness to switch seats. A big bag of pretzel mix or some more cookies. (It’s good to know that saving a plane from falling from the sky results in the a bigger snack. Note to self!)

A few subtle chuckles arose before the man asked how things were going in my life. To this day and for reasons I still don’t quite understand, I started to share a bit about the personal and work-related challenges of the past week leading up to the flight and the lingering stress stemming from them. He listened, and then he said something that I will never forget.

He said, “I’ve only talked to you for a few minutes, and I can’t imagine someone not wanting you on their team.”

My eyes filled with water, and I quickly pretended to drink my soda to stem any tears from actually falling. It had been a rough week indeed, but in that moment, I was reminded by a stranger of the special gifts we all have to make a difference in our work and in the lives of others. It was exactly what I needed to hear at exactly the right time.

“From the flight deck, we are making our final descent into Providence. Should have you on the ground in a few minutes. Thank you for flying with us today,” came the comforting refrain from the pilot a short time later.

The man asked if my kids wanted the bigger snack. I laughed and said, “sure.”

Once on the ground in Providence and as he got up to get his bag, he handed me a beautiful coin. He said that in his work, they give these coins to people who made a difference in their day. I nearly cried out loud. Didn’t he know that he was the one who made a difference in mine?

The man was a stranger when he sat down, but I made sure to learn his name before we said goodbye. Thank you, Greg Wisener. To quote my kids when they were little, “You turned my frown upside down.” But more importantly, you reminded me about the good in the world when I needed to be reminded, and for that I will always be grateful.