Today I Appreciate the Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant With the Ponytail

I mostly dislike airports.

As I mentioned yesterday, change/travel inherently makes me anxious and the airport happens to be the epicenter of these two feelings. Other travelers tend to be on their worst behavior in airports, too. Somehow, sitting in narrow seats for hours at a time makes one's fellow passengers feel entitled to a.) complain about everything, b.) partake in a number of annoying habits like cracking knuckles, chewing loudly, or taking up more space than necessary, and c.) engage in either little polite conversation or talk for too long about nothing important that nobody cares about. I also have a problem with people boarding planes in their monochromatic jump suits as if traveling is as exhausting as running a marathon.

So, behavioral and fashion issues aside, going through security and stripping off shoes, jackets, and jewelery and hunting through my backpack to plunk my laptop into a plastic bin feels distinctly stress-inducing. While the Sacramento airport tends to be a rather benign place to go through security, LAX "transportation security officers" (read: former Compton kids) bark at you to "Keep moving!," "No CELLULAR PHONES, no WATCHES. Take off your HEELS AND BOOTS, LADIES." Basically, no one is happy. At all.

Flight attendants, unfortunately, must face the brunt of traveler dissatisfaction as they deal with the weary security-rattled passengers, anticipating only restless legs, a half-cup of ginger ale, and stale airplane air. I don't know how they do it.

Yet today I interacted with the cheeriest flight attendant I've ever seen. I have little patience for fake cheeriness ("Have a great day, ma'am!", "Thanks for flying Southwest, ma'am!," "Peanuts, ma'am?"), but this particular attendant exuded a genuine contentment and - dare I say it?- happiness with his job.

How do I know this? When he wished me a good flight, I told him "thank you" and he actually looked me in the face, smiled, and replied with a "You're welcome. I hope you enjoy your trip home."

Really?

Halfway through the flight, a woman in front of me buzzed for flight attendant attention. Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant with the Ponytail came to her aid:

She lifted up her drink: "Where are the peanuts with this?"

Now, if it had been me, I probably would have sighed and just told her to be patient, the peanuts will come. Lady, this is a Southwest flight. Peanuts always come. The economy may be struggling, but as long as there are planes in the air, there will be peanuts served. Just trust me on this one, OK?

But amazingly, this guy didn't just seem harried or hassled or brush her off with a mechanic, "Just a moment, ma'am." Instead, he smiled and said:

"I'll get 'em right for! Good to get that protein in, right?"

Really? This guy does not grow weary of the fact that the only thing people care that he does is provide them with refreshments? He wants them to enjoy their in-flight protein and will willingly without reverting to rote airline service mantras - gather what this whiny lady wants?

I guess his behavior is not unbelievably remarkable, but I suppose it just goes to show that one can make even the most seemingly depressing situation sweet and that I appreciate.