Random Acts of Class - Going the Extra Mile
Last evening, after a long day traveling round trip to Detroit to meet with a client I will be speaking for later this month, I was eager to get off the plane when the Comair RJ touched down in Memphis. As we taxied to the gate, the Cincinnati-based flight attendant, a lady named Maxine, did the usual “stay in your seats with your seatbelts fastened announcement.” But she continued, reminding us that we had a uniformed soldier aboard who had just completed a 9 month deployment in Iraq, and that he had a wife and 3 kids waiting inside for him.
Maxine then asked the passengers to join her in welcoming the man home, and to show him some respect by allowing him to exit the plane first. It was probably the ONLY time in 30+ years of constant air travel that I have seen every single passenger comply (enthusiastically, no less) with a flight attendant’s request. The applause was as thunderous as 2 dozen people can make it, and I thought I saw a tear in the guy’s eye as he exited the plane. In that moment, everyone’s day got just a little bit brighter. Thank you Maxine.
That’s how easy it can be to go the extra mile. In a world that is wrapped way too tight at the moment, it can make a huge difference in someone’s life, maybe even your own. Let’s all give it a try.
Your comments, as always, are welcome. Godspeed!
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