An airport is never quite just a place that harbors countless airplanes and staff alike, trying to get you to yet another place on this bizarre planet. It is the hub( a hotspot, if you may) of emotions. Goodbye's are always sad, but there are emotions of every kind brewing at the arrival and departures of the airport.
You would usually see happiness at the arrival (unless of course you have the occasional unpleasant visitor), there's frantic goodbye's at the departure, anger at having to deal with the distance, anxiety for those leaving, excitement to head to a new place all juxtaposed with the familiar sound of the airport attendant ranting on about flight details and announcements.
Then there's fear.
There have always been people who are scared to board a flight and get in the air with the fear of a crash. There have also been a plethora of people scared of a hijack, ones that took place only occasionally a little more than a decade ago.
Then there was 9/11.
Fear took a whole new definition as the possibility of commercial planes flying into skyscrapers came alive. This fear was not confined to people of the United States- believe me, I still think of 9/11 every time I board a flight- it was almost a new emotion all together. My string of thoughts was interrupted by the cabin crew asking me if i wanted a vegetarian or non-vefeterian meal. As i looked down at the plastic cutlery on my tray- I knew that a lot of things had changed post 9/11. There was change and hope in the millions of people traveling everyday- to not succumb to the fear, and not give into terrorism.
& that's all that really mattered.
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