The Best Part

I'm finding as time goes on and life gets more and more full that the best parts are the little pieces in between the big events. The little exchanges, conversations and experiences that happen all the time that if we're not careful, can go unnoticed. These are the best parts for me, and the things I want to focus on in my writing. Speaking of best parts - the best part of this whole blogging thing for me is the knowledge that more likely than not absolutely no one is going to read any of this. I'm literally writing for the air out there in cyber-world and wow, does that feel nice. Moving on...

I was in Chicago on business last week and flew home on Friday. I was in the security line at O'Hare at 5:30 in the morning with my carry on, ticket and laptop bag getting ready to go do the big take-off-your-shoes-and-let-me-feel-your-bra routine. The line was super long for that time of day and everyone was looking at everyone else in line trying to pretend like they weren't looking.

There were two black people (is it okay to say black people?) working a special security area off to the side for pets and cages and such. The woman was big and healthy and had a McDonald's bag in the back pocket of her security uniform like she was saving a snack for later. A thin black man walked up to her and said: "Gurl, I hear you been trippin' and I just wanna tell you that we good. I love you gurl you don't need to worry!"

To which she replied: "Ohhhh! Am I happy to see you. I been so worried, 'cause you know that ain't me! That ain't who I am and I just wanna tell you that. You know that ain't who I am."

Apparently she had said or done something that she wasn't proud of, and this man was there to tell her it was okay, and her forgave her for whatever it was that had her to worried. They hugged like crazy and he tapped her on the back as he walked away and said "Don't you worry no more now."

I got out my Blackberry and pretended to be texting while I cried a little. It was just so damn sweet. Then I noticed the staunchy business man in the aisle next to me was looking right at me while I cried and he smiled at me as if to say "I understand, I kinda want to cry too". Then the father in back of him who was traveling with his wife and two children put his arms around his kids from behind and hugged them a little close to him. He was smiling as well.

This whole exchange was so small and so beautiful and it literally took a group of people waiting in a security line at O'Hare to a different place for a minute. It took me to a different place for the rest of the day. Not everything I'll write will seem like a scene from Love Actually - just this story happens to have a very Colin Firthy vibe.