For over seven hours on an airline flight, I felt skinny and small. It was such a novel sensation, I almost giggled with delight throughout the trip. At 5 feet 8 inches tall, I have maintained a normal weight which, over the decades, varied from the heavy to the light end of that range. In my generation, I was considered tall for a woman.
When I first boarded the plane, I stood in a long line, waiting. When I looked ahead for my spot, I saw a tall, very overweight man already settled in the seat next to mine. He was so big, he couldn’t lower the arm rest and he oozed into my seat space. I moaned inside, anticipating a miserable flight. Oh no, he’ll squish me, I thought with resentment. Why didn’t the airline force him to pay for two spaces?
As I stood waiting, I slowly became aware of how negative my thoughts had become. I remembered what a Tibetan lama once told me: if I closely examined a situation, the 180-degree opposite reality could be equally true. But how could the lama’s wisdom possibly apply to the giant man overlapping my small seat and my certain wretchedness to come?
When I searched for any conceivable positive in my upcoming situation, I finally realized, It will be wonderful to be warm the whole flight. Usually, on flights, I’m so cold, I wear multiple layers topped by a down vest. Sure enough, once I sat down, the man radiated so much heat, I never put on my down vest.
To my surprise, I felt petite for the first time in my adult life. For over seven hours, I experienced, repeatedly, how tiny and slender I was compared to the man next to me, a head taller. I felt as if I had entered a bizarre new world. What fun!
Perhaps because I stopped my inner critic, I took the time to notice how uncomfortable he must have been. He couldn’t keep his arms at his sides which forced him to prop the large appendages up on his stomach for seven hours. When moving carts came down the aisle, he had to shift his bulk toward me. During those short times, he considerately kept himself from touching me too much. I appreciated his thoughtfulness in a tough situation.
Because a kind lama taught me that the opposite point of view is possible, I was able to change from my first reaction of dread and blame to appreciating the man’s physical warmth, enjoying being a little person by comparison and having some compassion for his probable discomfort. Best of all, I thoroughly enjoyed those seven hours of my life and had sincere and friendly exchanges with my seatmate. Thank you, Lama.
Real Life – Real Laughs:
Humor When You Need It Most
Cate Burns’ thirty-eight non-fiction stories of heartfelt humor explore society’s foibles and personal snafus with insightful zingers that will delight readers. Burns casts an unstinting, cock-eyed look at personal change, friendship, sanity and courage.
“Absolutely LOVE the descriptions in this work. Very, very, very clever and, dare I say it? -unique. This is refreshing, funny, inventive and delightful.” -Sharon Whitehill, Ph. D.
