I thought this one was funny:
Today I'm sharing a memory from our recent vacation to Hawaii, one of many encounters that I found interesting. On the plane ride from Honolulu to San Francisco, where we had a connecting flight home to Toronto, a tall, slim, elderly man came to sit in the aisle seat next to me. I'd guess he was in his eighties. I remember thinking it would be a quiet trip and was surprised when he turned out to be quite talkative after awhile.
These days, you don't get a complimentary meal on the planes (in economy anyway). Husband M and I paid for a sandwich and a snack box with cheese and crackers I think. The kids sat a few rows back and had eaten before we got on board. The gentleman ordered a sandwich and ate with gusto. We started discussing the food and the drinks as the stewardess came by. We agreed the food was ok, I joked that it was as good as the food we used to get included in the fare.
I noticed he would get up out of his aisle seat every so often to exercise his legs and keep the circulation going. He wore those diabetic socks. Husband M and I would use that opportunity to go to the washroom. Upon returning to his seat, the gentleman told me he lived in Honolulu but was on his way to San Francisco. He had not booked a hotel but planned to just find a room. He was travelling on his own, although I remember him saying he had some signs of early dementia, mostly when it came to remembering place names. He regaled me with tales of growing up in New York in the depression era.
His dad drove a taxi cab. At that time, it was hard to find work and make any money. So his dad would line his cab up at the docks where the cruise ships came in. That was one of the few places you would get good fares. But you didn't want to lose your place in line. So his dad set up a spigot ( a new word for me). He explained it was a hole in the door from which he was able to relieve himself. He chuckled when he said his dad was the only one with hot meals for lunch. He would heat the bowl of food his wife prepared in a special spot under the hood of the car where the engine would warm it!
Then he told me his wife lived in San Francisco where their son looked after her as her dementia was much more advanced than his. In fact, his son was 'cash-strapped' at the moment with all the bills and he was looking for a home for her as it was becoming too difficult for his son to care for her. There are 2 other daughters but one lives in Australia and the other in Idaho. He wished they would be all in one place and able to help more. I wondered if he was divorced from his wife because he lived in Honolulu.
He told me he loved to surf and would go as far as (Bora Bora?) to surf in his youth. Sometimes his daughter and her husband come over from Australia to visit him in Honolulu but nowadays they stay at a hotel and have him over to dinner. He didn't recommend his own cooking!
At any rate, the flight came to an end and it was time for my party of 8 to worry about making our connection at another gate before it left in an hour. I parted amicably with the elderly gentleman. I wished him luck in finding a hotel room.
Rushing on to find our next plane, I ran into a lady I had met in the hot tub on the cruise. Of course, she looked different in street clothes, as opposed to being in her swimsuit with wet hair! She ended up being on the same connecting flight so I was able to get her email address when we met up again closer to that gate. But meeting her on the boat is another story...
These days, you don't get a complimentary meal on the planes (in economy anyway). Husband M and I paid for a sandwich and a snack box with cheese and crackers I think. The kids sat a few rows back and had eaten before we got on board. The gentleman ordered a sandwich and ate with gusto. We started discussing the food and the drinks as the stewardess came by. We agreed the food was ok, I joked that it was as good as the food we used to get included in the fare.
I noticed he would get up out of his aisle seat every so often to exercise his legs and keep the circulation going. He wore those diabetic socks. Husband M and I would use that opportunity to go to the washroom. Upon returning to his seat, the gentleman told me he lived in Honolulu but was on his way to San Francisco. He had not booked a hotel but planned to just find a room. He was travelling on his own, although I remember him saying he had some signs of early dementia, mostly when it came to remembering place names. He regaled me with tales of growing up in New York in the depression era.
His dad drove a taxi cab. At that time, it was hard to find work and make any money. So his dad would line his cab up at the docks where the cruise ships came in. That was one of the few places you would get good fares. But you didn't want to lose your place in line. So his dad set up a spigot ( a new word for me). He explained it was a hole in the door from which he was able to relieve himself. He chuckled when he said his dad was the only one with hot meals for lunch. He would heat the bowl of food his wife prepared in a special spot under the hood of the car where the engine would warm it!
Then he told me his wife lived in San Francisco where their son looked after her as her dementia was much more advanced than his. In fact, his son was 'cash-strapped' at the moment with all the bills and he was looking for a home for her as it was becoming too difficult for his son to care for her. There are 2 other daughters but one lives in Australia and the other in Idaho. He wished they would be all in one place and able to help more. I wondered if he was divorced from his wife because he lived in Honolulu.
He told me he loved to surf and would go as far as (Bora Bora?) to surf in his youth. Sometimes his daughter and her husband come over from Australia to visit him in Honolulu but nowadays they stay at a hotel and have him over to dinner. He didn't recommend his own cooking!
At any rate, the flight came to an end and it was time for my party of 8 to worry about making our connection at another gate before it left in an hour. I parted amicably with the elderly gentleman. I wished him luck in finding a hotel room.
Rushing on to find our next plane, I ran into a lady I had met in the hot tub on the cruise. Of course, she looked different in street clothes, as opposed to being in her swimsuit with wet hair! She ended up being on the same connecting flight so I was able to get her email address when we met up again closer to that gate. But meeting her on the boat is another story...
10 comments:
Christine, you meet the most interesting people! I really enjoy listening to stories from the elderly. They share some amazing things.
Wow Christine. This is so wonderful that you shared such a wonderful conversation with him. This was probably great for him as well too, because it may have been a while since he had last been able to pour his heart out like this. You were what he had been needing for a long time :)
what a life this old feel lived, so many people today are so afraid to speak to strangers, I'm so glad you were not afraid to engage a conversation with him, what a wonderful story, and you also made another new friend,
I bet the man's interesting stories helped make the flight go by quicker.
I always assumed meals came with the flight
Interesting man! I, too, wish him well. It must be difficult to be so far away from one's children and wife.
Lovely post, great memories. Love the sign too. I am back from the clinic, still in one piece! Valerie
Great stories. I love to talk to people on public conveyances.
That sounded like a very interesting fellow. We will be going on a trip to Japan later and our tour director told us that we shouldn't worry about going naked in the onsen because nobody will recognize you later with your clothes on and your hair dried. You've just proved that it must be true. So maybe, maybe I will do this.
Wonderful details in your story-telling Christine. He was fortunate to sit next to a good listener!
Looking forward to hearing about the lady in the hot tub!
Keep shining my dear friend.
Hugs
Peggy xxxxx
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