The Boarding Pass

The world and how we perceive it has changed drastically, even in my relatively short life span. The planet has gotten smaller and simpler to traverse. Stereotypes have been discarded and new ones erected. Definitions of success, family, and happiness all have undergone massive renovations, but there are a few truths that hold.

We still glorify the special moments in life, those with measurable quantities of interest. And we shun and almost dread the ordinary. It seems that we must be reminded that even in the most exemplary life, a snapshot may reveal that which is static and mundane.

So how would it be possible to find a true cross section of life among ordinary people? That would probably depend upon your definition of ordinary. Maybe it’s running to the grocery store to pick up food for your family for the week. Maybe it’s standing in line at the bank to deposit a paycheck. Maybe ordinary is pushing a lawnmower or a swing. Maybe it’s sitting in a classroom, a traffic jam, or an airplane seat.

Though our actions and even our words cannot always be revolutionary, even the most cynical among us cannot deny that chance encounters and other so-called ordinary events have the potential to change our little piece of the world. These unsuspecting snapshots may not start or end a war. They may not crumble an empire or spark a new dream. But that they exist is cause for research into the human condition, those warring desires for stability and change. Only a little dissection will show that everyone has a story—a past, a future. Every person has a place of origin and a destination, as well as somewhere in between. And somewhere on this journey, for every blessed one of us, there are moments—more frequently than you would expect—when we are the direct opposite of ordinary.