transportation

so i was just picked up by my friend from the airport. i flew from abilene airport to dfw then on to phili. in dfw i was given the option to give up my ticket so that no one will be upset because they overbooked my flight. i called my buddy and he said that he could pick me up later and that i should go for it (they gave me a huge travel voucher for doing it). so they needed 3 seats and they got 2, me and this older lady, but i didnt know that until later. the first time i saw this lady, Pat, she was standing next to me amongst the anxious passengers awaiting a seat on the plane. there were a TON of military there traveling. no, they werent patrolling or there to secure anything, they were just flying. so this uniformed serviceman walked by her and she stopped him. she gave him some money, he politely refused but she insisted. i couldnt hear all that she said but i could make out that her husband was in the service and that she really wanted him to have it. so he took it and thanked her kindly. sweet kid, sweet lady. so the guy at the counter called us both over so that we could sign our ticket away, get our vouchers and get our new ticket to phili. so the guy instructed us to go to terminal meaw in section meaw and wait for our flight to be called at like 2:00. she looked at him like he was speaking vulcan or something. so i said "i just came from there" which was somewhat true, i had been close. "i will take you there since i have to go there too. so we walk to the escalator and then on to the tram and so on and so forth. we talk the entire way there. when we arrive at the terminal we split up and i get some food and after i ate i ran into her again. we wound up sitting and chatting until they called our flight at 2:45. she told me about her husband and how he was a pow of ww2, she even gave me a pin that commemorated his squads capture. we talked about the war and how she still goes to the reunions and her kids and their kids and so on. her husband, who was a gunner on a plane, was shot down by a group of 14 year old german kids that were pulled out of school to join the german army. she also told me that one of the germans that were shooting at his squad contacted her son, who helps with reunions of the event and all. basically both groups became friends and forgave each other. the visit each others annual reunions and write to each other and have become good friends.

i LOVE this because even in times of war, even in times of hate and aggressiveness and violence we are all still human. we all still have feelings, no matter what training we endure that is meant to make us cold and unloving. no matter what we are told to do and how that hurts others we are still human. we need to forgive and be forgiven. we need to be aware that we need these things. if we are aware of this i think that we will be a little happier.