I am currently in Denver with 2 more hours to wait for my plane to Newark, and I have decided to entertain myself by coming up with a scavenger hunt. I hope that this will help others pass the inevitable hours of waiting that come with air travel. I've flown a good bit, and in just about every airport in the US, you can find the following people:
The Cowboy: This person wears medium-tight jeans, a tucked in button-up shirt, a belt buckle, a white cowboy hat, and leather boots. You can find Cowboys where you least expect them, and they wear their traditional garb wherever their travels take them. There are lots of Cowboys in Denver, but in a state whose football team is the Broncos that is no surprise. You may also encounter the cowgirl, although they are harder to identify due to more variation in their clothing.
The Military Personnel: With the U.S. military as active as it is in countries all over the world, there are almost always people wearing their military uniforms at the airport. Whether they are leaving or coming home, it is always poignant to wonder where they're going for what reason and for what amount of time.
The Person with the Cute Dog: Dogs in airports tend to be portably small, and adorably fluffy. Finding this person is always a nice bonus for the dog lovers among us.
The Person with the Runaway Child: Toddlers see an open space in front of them and, for inexplicable reasons, feel compelled to run as fast as their chubby bow-legs can take them while screaming and waving their arms. This is especially interesting when they see those tubes that people walk through to get onto the plane, and make a mad dash past the airport staff to adventure onto a plane their parents are not, in fact, boarding.
The Touchy-Feely Couple: While most airport couples can be identified by more subtle clues like their matching bermuda shorts or their runaway children, there is always at least one couple that has to be touching at all times. There's the hand on the thigh while sitting by the gate, the pauses to kiss right in the middle of foot traffic, and the enviably cute way they sleep on each other's shoulders while waiting out the layover during which they could, in fact, be participating in an exciting scavenger hunt such as this one.
The Hawaiian Shirt Guy: He may be lanky and skinny or pot-bellied, but is usually at least 40 and often accompanies his Hawaiian shirt with a hat and sunglasses. This hardy sort of person can be spotted even in the cold climate of Denver's winter, as I learned during my first people-watching adventure at this airport some years ago. I wonder how the snow looked when it gathered on the brim of his straw hat.
The Airport Beauty Queen: Although it makes no sense to me to wear my best skin-tight mini dress during the crowded, uncomfortable, and sweaty business of traveling, I must admit that I envy these ladies who can do their hair and makeup and wear something better than sweatpants. They look ready for a nightclub, are surprisingly nimble with their luggage despite their high heals, big earrings, and skimpy attire, and always look like they're going somewhere. But it still makes no sense.
The Traveling Group: The Traveling Group is usually a group of youth, although it may consist of adults. The primary characteristic is the matching outfits. The group travelers in Denver today are sporting cheery bright orange T-shirts, but my favorite group of my people-watching career was actually a group of German choirboys in black suits who were traveling in Salt Lake City. A close second to them was the very attractive men's volleyball (or was it basketball?) team I was once blessed to share a plane with.
The Sleeper: The only identifying characteristic of the Sleeper is that this person is asleep. Not just dozing off in a chair, but laying on the ground by a wall or in some other manner fully asleep. I wonder if, like me, they fall deeply asleep and then forget where they are upon waking.
The Look-Alike: I cannot tell you what this person will look like, for you will not know that until you get up to say hi to one and then realize that the Look-Alike is not, after all, the person you thought he/she was. Here in Denver I was about ready to say hi to one of my professors when I realized that the person was not my professor but a Look-Alike. Look-Alikes commonly take the form of ex-significant others and former high school classmates, but they come in a huge variety, including professors.
The New-Friend Strangers: Along with people watching, some people actually talk to each other. You will find them sitting a few feet apart, leaning in to cover the distance as they exchange pleasantries, personal information, and perhaps some overly personal details that somehow surface when somebody knows they will probably never encounter their interlocutor again. However, some new-friend strangers do remain in contact, and my mother has accrued quite a collection of them including authors, researchers, professors, and musicians. I recently acquired a new email buddy who gave me some very useful information for my upcoming research project. After all, I am a fan of talking to strangers.
There are plenty more people to encounter in an airport, and it is always interesting to learn who you will meet. I am fascinated by the life stories I have heard and the individuals I have met- jewelry show representatives, horse breeders ---- INTERRUPTION, CUTE DOG ALERT. 2 in one day, I'm lucky!----- stained glass artists, and all sorts of interesting people. And there are always the cowboys. So if you're bored in an airport, keep your eyes out and see if you can spot the above people, and meet some other interesting strangers out there too.
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