Those with whom I did not crash; I glimpse Lynx asleep; sharing breakfast apart
Friday, October 14, 2011 at 10:48PM ;)
I am not a person who fears flying at all. Whenever I board a plane, I am solidly confident it will carry me to my destination safely. When we are in the air and suddenly find ourselves getting smacked around by turbulence that gives some passengers a big scare, to me it is just like being on a bumpy road - a bit uncomfortable but no big deal.
Yet, after I boarded the completely full Alaska Airlines flight that would carry me from Barrow to Anchorage and the jet took off, I suddenly found myself thinking that if by chance this proved to be one of those extremely rare flights that didn't make it and it crashed with 100 percent fatalities, all the people riding in this plane and I would die together.
It struck that we would then all share a very intimate experience. What would it be like? Would we be aware of it? Do we have spirits that would float about the site for awhile, those of us who are strangers to each other introducing ourselves for the first time, those of us who already know each other visiting and musing about what just happened? Would we be in mourning for those living that we had left behind? Rejoicing to meet those dead who had left us before?
I don't know. But it was kind of fun to think about, so I raised my camera over my head, pointed it behind me in such a way that I knew it would catch me too and took this picture of myself with my fellow passengers, so that, if we all died together, this moment could be remembered.
;)
But we didn't die. We landed safely. Margie picked me up at the airport and then drove us to Jacob and Lavina's. Lynxton was now just over three weeks old and this was only the third day that I had seen him. Just like when I returned from New York, he was asleep.
The day of his birth is the only day that I have so far seen him awake.
I expect to see him Saturday.
Maybe he will be awake then.
;)
Margie had been staying with Jacob and Lavina to help out, but now she came home with me and we brought Jobe with us. As usual, on my first morning home, we went out to breakfast, at Abby's Home Cooking.
Abby had the radio on, tuned to a local country station. She had the volume turned very low, so that one barely noticed the music as it played in the background. Basically, one song blended into the next, each almost indistinguishable from the other.
Then, I heard the opening notes to a familiar guitar riff - it was Johnny Cash, going into "I walk the Line." The volume remained low, but suddenly the song filled the restaurant. It grabbed me and held me. I was locked into every note, every word.
When Johnny, who I once spent an afternoon with, quit singing, the music once again fell into the background, hardly noticeable, one song indistinguishable from the next.
That's because Johnny Cash was genius - great - the other performers merely good.
When Margie and I have any of the boys with us, we iPhone pictures back and forth with Lavina and Jake, so they will know how whatever child is staying with us is doing at that moment.
So I took this iPhone pic of Jobe to send to them.
;)
"Cuteness!" Lavina texted back. Then she followed with a text informing me that Kalib was missing his grandma and wanted to see her.
So I had her wave at him and then sent this picture.
"He smiled," Lavina texted back.
Then she took a picture of baby Lynx with her own phone and texted it to us.
We looked at it.
We smiled.
We then finished eating breakfast, 50 miles apart together.
Reader Comments (4)
Ah, Bill, it's way too soon for you to go. You'll be with us for a long time. Your grandbabies have much to learn from you.
It's funny the situations we're in when we ponder our death. I am also very confident on planes, in fact, it's where I get my best sleep.
Thank you for the picture of sleeping Lynx. He's so beautiful. I've yet to meet him and I already miss him. I'm very lucky Lavina sends me text reminders of the kiddos. I think about them often and can't wait for their next visit.
You MUST tell us about your afternoon with Johnny Cash! My goodness, as if you could get any cooler! Seriously, I'm so intrigued.
Oh my Bill. I do not have the confidence you do when it comes to flying and while I often ponder my death when I am stuck in an airplane it certainly isnt a fun thought. I detest flying, but do it on occasion because I have no other choice.
Lynx is so adorable, a handsome little man like Jobe and Kalib!
i think the same thing sometimes when i fly, love seeing your family
Angel - Jacob was there too - although he had to stay in the audience with his mom and brothers and did not get to hang out in the trailer and elsewhere with Johnny Cash and the other performers.
The event took place just outside of Globe. It was a benefit for Apache students sponsored by the rock group, Apache Spirit. Johnny Cash agreed to come and, like all the other performers who did, donated his time.
Thank you, LisaJ. I want to spend more time with him.
And thank you, Twain - we think alike in many ways.