The Pyramids and the Acropolis are thousands of years old. Chartres and St Peter only hundreds of years old. And yet, each in its own way a sacred place. A place where you simply can't avoid thinking about humanity and your tiny part in it all.
In my case, I need only travel 10 minutes from my front door for another kind of sacred place: O'Hare International Airport. Only a few years old, it too evokes stop-in-your-tracks thoughts about our flawed yet always seeking humanity. Grab a cup of coffee some afternoon, and experience the drama hurrying and shoving all around you.
A crash course in what it means to be human. The pride, the passion and the purpose.
The first thing you feel -- an oh you will feel it! -- is the sense of urgency. Everyone on their way to somewhere. Or something. Or someone. A sprawling ant-hill microcosm of the human experience in a state of perpetual motion. Virtually every race, nationality, gender, religion, party, and career. But woven into this crazy-quilt tapestry is the same universal need. To believe that all of this -- and all of you -- are somehow of consequence in the scheme of things.
Armed police, drug sniffing dogs, security check-points are there to reassert another universal. To be human is to be always in danger. The moment we're torn from our mother's womb, we're in a state of danger from infections, accidents, and other assorted calamities. Thankfully, we've all made it this far; but new risks will always lurk. And so our species will never rest.
Perhaps the greatest universals pulsating throughout this hippodrome are the ancient twins: sorrow and joy. Both are here, playing out before your eyes at almost every terminal.The little and large sorrows of goodbyes...but then the very large joys of hellos. Watch the family and friends bunch up to play their respective parts. Hugs and tears where loved ones are departing for who knows how long; but in rich counter-point, terminals where eyes pop and arms explode at the first sight of the one they've been waiting for.
Sitting here nursing another cup of Italian Roast, I may be guilty of an arrogance of sorts. All these flesh-and-blood people with flesh-and-blood agendas -- somehow I've made of them a cast in a three-act drama. A remarkable piece of theatre without even the price of admission. But why not...? No harm to them, and great reward to me.
Say, I wonder...Is this a little like God sees us?
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Good one, Jack. I never thought of hanging out for the sake of hanging out, it's a great idea. If you've ever seen the movie "Love Actually", well the end really, it's easy to see what a wonderful look at life one can see hanging out at an airport. Of course these days, unless you actually have a ticket to go somewhere, they won't let you to the inside waiting areas. Still, maybe the real picture isn't there anyway, but right at that line where 'coming' and 'going' meets. When I next have an opportunity to travel, I'll think I'll take a closer look myself and enjoy the drama. Thanks! :-)
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