Sitting in wait...

So here I am, at Palm Beach International Airport, sitting in wait. Waiting for something to happen. Something extraordinary...

A few weeks ago, not too far from where I sit now, a beautiful young lady sat near me, as I was waiting for my ride home. I wrote a poem about her, which you can read at golf.november.world, one of the recent posts..."Intersection of Solitude".

She is a pretty girl born in Florida, but raised (and currently living) in a small town in my home state, in Redding, California. She is involved with a church that deals with the supernatural (something that I'll admit, scared me, though I held back my fears to prevent offending her. My faith isn't that popular with most people, so I would know where she's coming from. I would like the same respect for my religion as she wishes for hers).

This intersection of solitude was the meeting of two souls, two beings, two persons by chance, both opening up to each other, and never to be seen again. She had the prettiest blue eyes...and her blond hair was just as beautiful. But, if you read the poem, you'll also note that there is another that I am holding out hope for.

And the intersection of solitude strikes again tonight.

As I was writing this, I was called into my office by a customer (or who I thought was a customer...actually another airline employee). I found some promising news that comes against this furlough. Air Wisconsin may be hiring flight attendants soon, and I am really considering applying to work as a flight attendant. I'll get used to the life of flying as air crew for an airline, and it will allow me to make contacts with pilots at the airline so when I get my ratings, it will be easier for me to get into the right seat, and make it faster for me to make it to the left seat.

Now...when is my food arriving?

"There Will Be Furloughs"...

"There will be furloughs", my manager told me.

With that, my greatest fear was confirmed. I was in a position where I would be furloughed from my job. The economy played a big factor, but another factor that caused the layoffs was the recent transition to the flight boarding method the airline I work for adopted: from two agents to a flight to only one, and a computer to scan boarding passes. Technology, which is what many airlines have been pushing for, is killing jobs everywhere. I'm all for the progress of aviation, though; don't get me wrong. However, I realized that most progress comes at the expense of people. Eliminating the navigator, then the flight engineer...all that was a product of the advancement of aviation.

However, aviation as an industry should stand out, not as a cutthroat industry, but one that helps people do what they need to do. And that is my vision for my contribution for aviation.

After getting the news, I have already applied to work as an air traffic controller (which, coincidentally, the FAA started hiring off the street the same week that I got the announcement). I'll keep you guys posted on how that goes, if it does blossom into anything. I'm just hoping to get a test date right now.