Every Thursday I feature a “throwback” post from my blog archive. The goal is to look back and discover new lessons or opportunities to grow. This week, we’ll look at “First Class” You can view the original post here. For today, here’s a quick recap and a few more thoughts about inviting others to be a part of our story.
“First Class” is all about an airport situation that went from disaster to core memory all because a Delta gate agent decided to be the hero. I can still remember the moment when the entire situation changed. My wife and I went from being stranded in an airport watching the vacation of our dreams slip through our fingers to sitting in first class sipping champagne1.
I still remember the moment that this gate agent switched from self defense mode into hero mode. I remember watching her facial expression switch from exhausted to energized. I remember her exact words in that moment. She said, “No romantic trip is getting ruined on my watch!” She had her mission and failure was not an option. She was going to succeed and succeed she did. She didn’t just get us where we needed to go, she got us there in style!
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The original post has a happy ending. It encourages us to treat people well and invite them into our stories instead of simply asking them or even demanding that they give us our way. This isn’t just so we can get what we want but so that we can build others and speak life into them up in the process. But as I read this story again, it made me wonder what would have happened if the roles were reversed.
For me, it’s easy to celebrate the fact that I got what I wanted; that someone went out of their way to serve me and give me a great experience. But, it makes me ask how often I do that for someone else. When I am approached by someone who needs my help or asks me to go out of my way on their behalf, what’s my natural inclination? Is it to pull out all the stops to help them get where they need to go, or is it to shrink back and say, “Sorry, there is nothing I can do?” or “I don’t have time for that,” or “It’s out of my hands.”
My gate agent friend had all of those options and they would have been acceptable in her situation. At first glance, there was nothing she could do. Honestly, we almost got out of line and just went home after watching person after person turn away from the counter disappointed. Even still, she chose to take another look, to get creative, and find a way to accomplish our common goal. She was and continues to be an example to me of what it looks like to go the extra mile to make someone feel seen and cared for.
Tomorrow, I am getting on another plane. It’s summer time and I am not going to New York so, the likelihood of being stranded due to a snowstorm in La Guardia is pretty minimal. Still, I hope that as I walk through that airport, I will have my eyes open to the people and the needs around me. I hope my first inclination will be to serve and love those that I come into contact with. And I hope I will always remember the example of that Delta gate agent who reminded me that day that even disastrous moments can turn into highlights if we’re willing to slow down, have a conversation, and invite others into our story2.
1. It was the first and only time we’ve ever flown first class. You can’t pass that up!
2. I also hope we somehow end up in first class. It’s never happened again so, I kind of feel like its time!
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