My girlfriend who lives in California just had a baby girl and I wanted to go see them. My husband and I had 3 very young sons, all close in age and I thought I needed a break. I became even more exhausted from trying to make sure all was prepared and planned for my family before I left. When I got on the plane and settled in my seat I fell fast asleep before the person sat down in the seat next to me. I slept the entire flight. As the plane was descending I awoke and the man sitting next to me said “Did you sleep well?” I couldn’t speak because I realized he was Ryan Seacrest, the television host. He noticed my being star struck and laughed then exited the plane before I could gain my composure. I wiped my mouth hoping I hadn’t drooled all over the place.
My friend picked me up from the airport, she too was exhausted from being a new mother. Our week included quick site seeing trips and visiting. San Francisco was a beautiful place. My friend seemed happy and I had a great time. The flight home from there invoked sleep again until I had a plane change in Dallas to connect to my flight home to Oklahoma City.
I was given a seat close to the front of the plane. As the plane was boarding I could see it was a full flight. Refreshed I was wondering and watchful as to who might be sitting next to me this time. I had a Bible study teacher who was an amazing lady who flew a lot. She would come back from trips and tell stories of people she was able to witness to and I dreamed of being like her one day.
A young man came in the plane talking non-stop to the stewardess. He paced back and forth in and out of the plane. He clearly had some sort of mental disability. He kept saying he had been to his sister’s wedding. “It was a beautiful wedding” he said over and over with such emotion. She escorted him to the isle seat on my row, I had the window seat and no one ended up sitting in the middle seat as he was the last to board.
Have you seen the movie Forest Gump? Tom Hanks must have met this man and modeled the character after him. The young man had a lot to say, over and over again. I just smiled and listened like the lady that sat on the bench and listened to Forest while they waited for the bus.
The young man was a huge Oklahoma Sooner fan. He told me several times that the flight path was over the stadium and asked me if I would let him know when I saw it. So, as we drew near I saw the stadium in the distance, pointed and said “there it is!” He didn’t give me a second to move and leapt across the seat between us, plastered his face in the window and stayed laid across me until we passed the stadium.
After the initial shock, I snickered and blew it off. He was so happy and thanked me several times for allowing him to see the stadium. As the plane stopped at the gate he quickly undid his seatbelt and bound for the door. As he was leaving he told the stewardess how he had seen the OU stadium. I gathered my things and rose out of my seat a little shaken.
As I stood up and looked toward the back of the plane to see if someone was coming others stood and stared at me. Then the crowd of passengers clapped for me. I was shocked, confused and embarrassed. I left the plane went to baggage claim and gathered my bags. I met my mother and our small boys at the passenger pick up. After hugs and kisses we went to McDonalds. We got our food and went to sit down as one of the passengers from the plane came over to my mother and said “your daughter is a saint!”
My mother was startled and was in shock, she knows I haven’t been a saint but as I told her the story she realized why he thought that way. I didn’t think I deserved that title, I was just being nice. I realized then there are different ways to be a witness.
Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”
What a stark difference between the two encounters. Ryan Seacrest and Forest Gump. I actually didn’t see the movie until awhile after the plane trip. I didn’t know the story either and at the end of the movie I cried like a baby. My husband was shocked! I used to not cry much. I said “that’s exactly how the man on the plane was!”
This is a story I will never forget and about how important it is to be kind to someone.
Rhinestone Cowgirl 