Up early this morning, but not to walk, I catch a northbound plane and landfor the first time in Seattle.
The layover is two hours long, so exploration is in order. The airports of my youth, before the terrorists, before security theater, were emotionally exciting, but situationally boring: Filled with lovers parting, families reuniting, frustrated, tired passengers. The range of human experience displayed in long corridores of endless grey tile punctuated by the occasional bar and overpriced ‘duty-free’ shop.
And what was a duty then, anyway? Being sheltered, young, and not well traveled, the concept was as foreign to me then as the three letter codes displayed on the ever changing departure boards.
Hints of exotic locales shortened to fit: MEX, SJO, INN, FRA, LUX, PRG, BUD, AUS and my own TUC, DEN, LAX. What sort of duty would those places require?
On this trip, things are different. The airports are no longer mere terminals. They now house art museums, music venues, restaurants, massage parlors, exclusive boutiques.
I’m different, too. I know what duty is, what it requires. I’ve paid and been paying it for years and this trip is a payment to myself.
I wander down the brightly lit corridors of SEATAC, enjoying the live acoustic music provided by the local artist set up in front of Starbucks.
It’s Mother’s Day on Sunday, and I find a card that makes me smile and write a note to the woman who I love so dearly my heart nearly breaks when I think of her.
There is an old stamp in my wallet.
It’s Forever, and the Charlie Brown Christmas image on it will do: Linus with his blanket and thumb looking at a scraggly little branch of a tree.
My duty paid, my flight is boarding, I pop the card into the post box and bid farewell.
What did you see?
#mymorningwalk
My Morning Walk is a brief window into life as I experience and think about it on the day and time indicated. All images are my own, copyrighted, and taken on the walk. If there are any links to purchase something, I may earn a small commission which will help me cover the cost of running this site. Thank you for visiting, it means a lot.