Week Three Theme: A Wise Old Man

Tired and probably smelly, I climbed onto the last plane of my journey to Houston, Texas. I was with my mother and my sister, and we were all exhausted from the trip. We had gotten on three different planes today, starting in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was almost midnight, and all I wanted to do was sleep. This plane was so crowded, I actually was worried about the weight limit. 

The flight attendant motioned for us to follow her. She led my mother to a seat near the back of the plane. 

"Um, is there any way the three of us could sit together?" My mother asked, pointing to my sister and I, "These are my daughters." 

The woman laughed and shook her head, "No, ma'am. This flight is booked full. You'll have to sit wherever you can find." 

We all agreed and were sat in three very different parts of the plane. I was sat next to a man who was much older then me. He was wearing very simple clothing and his hat was sitting in his lap. He was holding his hands in his lap and looked out the window; not as if he was looking for something, just as if he was taking everything in. Across the aisle from me was a handsome younger man dressed in an expensive suit. He had an expensive phone pressed to his ear and a laptop sat on his knees. 

I thought this was going to be a really boring 3 hour flight. The attendant asked the passengers to to turn off all electronic devices during the take off. The old man next to me didn't flinch. He clearly didn't have any devices to turn off. The young man on the other side of me groaned in frustration while he put away his laptop and turned off his cell phone. I turned off my cell phone and stuffed my iPod in my pocket. But once the take off was clear, I planned on stuffing my ear buds into my ears and sleeping until we landed in Houston. 

Once the take off was clear, I was about to start listening to my music when I heard a voice pipe in at my right. 

"Hello there." I heard a very soft, quiet voice say. "How are you?" 

I turned my head. The old man had very large, very kind eyes that were shielded behind old wire-framed glasses. He was smiling a happy grin. His face was etched with decades of lines. His clothes were old and tattered; he smelt of peppermint.

"I'm pretty good," I replied, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the random greeting, "Thank you for asking. How are you?" 

He shrugged, "I'm okay. Where are you from?" 
"I'm from Maine," I replied, "A tiny town with less then 200 people in it." 
"Maine is a beautiful place," He said, "I never spent much time there, but I was there a couple of times. I remember flying over it and seeing what seemed like millions of endless trees. So green and rustic. It's remarkable. I grew up in Massachusetts, a small town that you've probably never heard of. Lived there my whole life and then raised my kids there." He stopped and paused, "You're pretty far away from home. What brings you to Houston?"

"I'm going to a rodeo with my mom and sister," I replied, getting giddy at just mentioning it, "We're staying with a family friend."

He nodded, "Well that sounds like a great time! I'm happy you're on this trip for something fun. I'm going to see my sister, she lives about two hours north of Houston." 

"Oh, really?" I started, "Well that sounds like a nice time as well." 

He took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes, "Well, not really, dear. I got a frantic call earlier from my sister's husband... She's not doing well. In fact, they don't think she has much time left at all. So I packed a bag and hopped on a plane." 

I didn't really know what to say. I waited a moment to reply, "I'm really sorry... that's too bad... I hope she gets better." 

He looked at me and half-smiled, "That's really nice of you to say. But I'm not sure that she will be." 

I bit my lip and waited for him to say something. I was trying so hard not to say the wrong thing.

"After a while you get used to it," He continued, "I've lost a lot of people who mean a lot to me. Obviously my parents passed away a long time ago. And especially in the service... I lost a lot of friends there." 

"Oh, you were in the service?" I said, trying to change the subject, "I have a lot of respect for people in the service. I was involved in some cadet training for a couple of years." 

He chuckled, "I fought in World War II, the Vietnam War and the Korean War. And I'll tell ya', being in battle is unlike anything else." 

"That's really amazing," I said brightly, "That you've been in all those wars." 

"It's not amazing," He said, "I've seen far too many people die." 
I wanted to kick myself. Why do I keep saying the wrong things? He looked at me with emotion in his eyes. "I fear that I may see another death too soon." 
"I really hope not," I replied after a pause, "I'll pray for your sister." 
The man smiled and patted my hand, "Thanks, dear. I really appreciate it. My sister is really the only family I have left. My wife passed years ago. I've outlived them all. All seven of my siblings. I was the baby of the family. Always causing trouble, everywhere I went. Hell, sometimes I forget how old I am." He furrowed his brow and looked pensive. He seemed like he was trying to figure it out in his head but waved his hand dismissively.
"I bet you've seen a lot through your life, though." I added, trying to be positive. 
"Yes, I suppose I have," He started, "But home will always be the most important place. Don't forget that. I married my wife straight out of high school, she was my sweetheart. We had six children and eighteen grandchildren. I have three great grandchildren. All of my kids are college-educated and successful. I've lived a pretty full and busy life, I have no complaints." 
I looked at the old man and smiled at how content he seemed. You could tell he didn't need much in life, he just got by how he did. 
"You learn, as time goes on, that aging really isn't a curse. You young folk do everything you can to slow it down. Embrace it! My wrinkles are a sign of just how hard I've worked. Don't ever think that there's something wrong with being old, because there isn't. I'd never change a thing." 
I nodded, and completely agreed with him. I've always thought that age was profound and graceful... Youth was clumsy and usually you got by on luck. 
"You know, you're a great listener." He continued, "You're like my sister in that way. If you want me to shut up, just let me know, okay?" 
I laughed a little, "Oh, no, not at all. I really enjoy listening." 
He grinned, "That's a nice quality. Too many young people are always just yacking away. Talk talk talk, on your cell phones and your computers." Discreetly, the man pointed across the aisle at the young business man who was still tip-tapping away on his laptop, "That's no way to live. He doesn't see how much he's missing. Look out our window. We're flying over a big city! The lights are beautiful and the sky is lit up. That man's missing out on quite a view." 
I observed the man across the aisle. He was clearly working on something and was very engaged in it. A flight attendant stopped and quietly asked him to put his laptop away as we went through some turbulence. He scoffed and showed attitude as he did as the woman asked. 
"So disrespectful," The old man said, observing the man's behavior, "Work can always wait. Remember that. Don't work your life away. My father always told me that, hard work was always important, but life was even more important." 
As the flight went on, the old man told me his entire life story, from beginning to end. I didn't say much, I mainly nodded and asked small questions. I was so fascinated by his story, that when the plane landed, I was almost disappointed that I couldn't listen longer. 
Once the plane skidded to a stop, the passengers all stood up and started rifling through their above-head compartments. He pulled out a ratty old duffle bag saying, "This is all I got." 
He got off the plane before I did, and he waved to me as he left. 
"Thanks for being such a great listener!" He called as he walked up the aisle to the exit. 
"Thank you!" I answered brightly, "I hope everything turns out okay!" 
He smiled and gave me a thumbs up. 
Once he was gone, I met up with my mother and my sister and we headed for the exit. As we exited the plane, they both said that they simply slept through that whole flight. 
"I was going to sleep," I said, smiling, "But I sat next to a wise old man who told me his life story."