Glenn Stewart Coles, 9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8-924, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 9T3
Text Box: On September 12, 2001, I was scheduled to travel from Toronto to Vancouver, a flight of over five hours. Of course, as we now know, there were no flights that day. All air travel had been cancelled due to the attacks in New York City. A few days later, my trip was rescheduled. As I stood in the check-in line at the airport, people were anxious. Everybody was looking at everybody. Suddenly we began to wonder about the character and intentions of our fellow travelers. The world had changed, and we had changed with it. As I checked in, the airport staff was very nervous. The situation was new, and they really didn’t know how to react. When asked about the contents of my suitcase, I admitted that my toiletries included a bag of safety razors. With shock, the woman behind the desk told me that I could not take razors on the airplane. Even though the suitcase would be checked into the hold, I was asked to throw the razors in the garbage, and I did. However, once the flight was in progress, I was served lunch with a steel knife and fork. A few days later, I went to the airport for my return flight and security was heavy. Hundreds of people lined up, and it took almost an hour before I met the security agent. Upon emptying my pockets, I was informed that I could not take two cigarette lighters on board, so I had to throw one in the garbage. While I complied, I couldn’t determine what I could do with two lighters that I couldn’t do with one. The waiting room to board the plane was packed. Two or three hundred people crammed the room, and every chair was taken. I was very tired, so I found a spot by the wall and lay down, using my carry-on bag as a pillow. I closed my eyes and shut out the noise in the room, intending to grab a quick nap. When I woke up, the waiting room was empty, and loudspeakers were calling my name. Since my luggage was on board, the plane could not leave without me. I ran down the hallway to the boarding ramp, and when I got on the plane, everyone else was comfortably seated. They closed the door behind me, and the flight got underway. I realized afterwards that even while sleeping, I had made an impact. Hundreds of nervous passengers had boarded the plane, worried about safety and security. As each person entered the hallway to the boarding ramp, they had to walk past a man on the floor, sound asleep and snoring. Perhaps some had smiled at the humor of the situation, or the loudness of my snoring. Perhaps some nervousness was quelled, and perhaps some tension was reduced. Since I was asleep, I shall never truly know how I influenced my fellow passengers. It is important to remember that every moment of your existence can have impact on others. Fear, calmness, joy, anger, laughter and sadness are all contagious. Just as the sight of someone yawning can initiate a yawn, your emotions can transfer to others. Though each person is in charge of their own feelings, external stimulus can be a trigger that awakens reactions. Remain aware of what you are vibrating, as you never know what effect you may have. The world can be changed, and it begins with you. © Copyright Glenn Stewart Coles, 2006 First Published August 13, 2006

Subscribe to

Weekly Inspirations

Moments of Impact

 

 

The world had changed, and we had changed with it.