My son was still optimistic that he would make it to his soccer game early the next morning as we were being escorted towards the exit. I, on the other hand, had glanced back. Seeing the fear on people’s faces as they frantically covered their mouths, I knew we weren’t getting back on the plane.
If I could go back in time I would have just stayed seated. If only a couple of hours earlier I hadn’t been adventurous with a questionable fish taco and $4 Mai tai at a dive bar in Kona, HI. We were on a red-eye flight, tired from a long day and I was feeling the results of my poor decisions. Being a frequent flyer I knew once we taxied out to the runway the restroom would be off-limits so, I nudged my son to let me out. The flight attendant had just taken her place at the emergency exits to give the safety speech. As my son and I stood she quickly instructed me to sit back down.
Her sharp, annoyed tone sent my son into protection mode causing him to utter the earth-shattering, fear-inspiring words no one on a plane wants to hear,
“My mom isn’t feeling well and needs to use the bathroom.”
The spell was cast and the results were immediate. The look of sheer terror washed over people’s faces, as they covered their mouths. The flight attendant stopped what she was doing and quickly approached me.
“You are feeling sick?” She asked her tone was attacking.
“Well, I just wanted to use the restroom my stomach is a little uneasy,” I responded.
“If you are sick I cannot make the decision that you can fly. We are going to need you to talk to the triage and get an okay from them.”
Before I could respond she had rushed off. Moments later she returned with a couple more flight attendants and said: “Ma’am we are going to need you to get your stuff and come with us.”
My son immediately started arguing “She is fine. What do you mean? Where are we going.”
“We can’t have you flying if you are sick. We need you to come with us.” She responded with a matter of fact tone that informed me we didn’t have a say in the matter. I instructed my son to do what they said.
Grabbing our stuff, we followed the woman to the door of the plane where we were greeted by two others and taken down the ramp.
We watched as the door to the plane shut and the ramp was being slid away. I knew there was no way we were getting back on the plane. My mind was racing with my full schedule of classes the next day I was going to have to get covered as we pleaded with the woman who was supposed to be assessing whether I was okay to fly.
She agreed that I was healthy and there was no issue for me to fly and called the staff on the plane. It was too late they had already made up their mind that I was unfit to fly.
Moments later my son and I found ourselves on the side of a very desolate road in Kona, destressed with nowhere to go, watching our plane take off.
Even as we faced this horrible circumstance I found love. I tried to love and find compassion for all those on the plane who were fearful because anger and frustration would get me nowhere.
I smiled and thanked the triage woman who was apologizing for her inability to persuade the flight attendant. I had no idea how this woman would turn into a literal angel going above and beyond.
She didn’t have one ounce of fear in her heart as she closed down the airport and came to my son and I on the side of the road asking if we had a ride.
Considering it was past midnight in a town that shuts down quite early and everyone we could have reached out to was asleep our answer was, “no.”
Without hesitation, she insisted that we hop into her car. I am forever grateful to this beautiful woman who fearlessly assisted us. She chose compassion and drove us to the resort we had been staying in and refused to accept any money in exchange for her kindness. Because of this angel, everything worked out and eventually we got home. But, my heart was hurting. I had seen the power of fear.
As a messenger of the Power of Love to overcome and heal all that is ailing. I teach that we should never allow fear to navigate our choices. The one thing that can destroy a society quicker than a virus is FEAR! It is the only real enemy. A culture of fear is everything that is wrong with our society. Fear is what fuels separation, segregation, and prejudice. A healthy society is one built on compassion like the compassion the woman had. We had been rejected be fear and embraced by love (This reminds me of mother teresa who fearlessly assisted those her were rejected by society.)
The Virus we must cure is the deadly virus of fear!! It is the most harmful virus of all.
Fear is sneaky and tricky and is everywhere… it can even be found buried in good intentions.
So often our original intention is good. We start out coming from a place of love or compassion. We begin a movement to fight for the rights of those who can’t speak for themselves; animals, the earth or children. We begin as an advocate FOR something and the very idea of being FOR something says that there is an OPPOSING FORCE. When the focus shifts from what we are for i.e. Health, healing, connection, well-being, our whole message begins to morph. Soon in an effort to protect our cause we create an enemy to fight against. In the case above, my son and I were those enemies.
It is like getting caught in a landslide at first it is just a couple of rocks rolling down the hill and before you know it you are swept up and the entire foundation beneath you begins to crumble.
This is a warning that the rocks are crumbling down the hill. Love is the only thing that can stop the landslide. We must begin to dismantle these walls of separation. When we do we will discover that at the base of it all, its very foundation, is fear.
The real enemy isn’t the Corona Virus. It is the fear, hate, anger or anything that builds those walls creating separation from our true nature which is LOVE. <3
