One of the things I hate about flying is that most flights that I've taken in recent years are full flights. Somehow a few empty seats add to my sense that all is well with the world. I prefer to sit in an aisle seat, and my backpack never fits as easily under the seat in front of me as in either of the other two seats. That being said, I still opt for the aisle.
Shortly after take-off, the passenger in the aisle seat across from me caught my attention. He had in his hands a large Bible with a supple leather cover. The leather was the color of the brown shoes I was wearing. I had never seen a Bible that color or one with leather that flexible. He eventually folded the Bible in half and the leather cover disappeared from view.
As best as I could tell, his countenance was like that of a grumpy old man. Truth be told, he was probably younger than me, but from what I could tell he seemed to have a permanent frown fixed on his face. My first impression was that his was not a life filled with joy. He looked like a guy that was wound up tighter than an eight-day clock.
Having the countenance of an undertaker doesn't always work in a person's best interest. At least in my mindset, being mistaken for an undertaker doesn't come with the guarantee for a reputation for fun and for being the life of the party.
Of course, there are exceptions to that rule. The two undertakers that I know from the Blanco/Johnson City area are very personable, and I count them both as friends.
Seeing the passenger with a huge Bible in his hands gave me a flashback to my college years. Many of the students who were majoring in Bible never went to any class without their Bible. They had their sights set on eventually being pastor of a church, and I guess they saw a Bible in hand as an accessory for them to look the part.
I thought of them as the "God Squad", and that was not necessarily a term of endearment. That probably says more about me than it does them. Last year when a high-ranking Texas official told a gathering of people in Uvalde that the school shooting that left 19 students and 2 teachers dead was God's will, It made me sick to my stomach.
Of course, mother often said you should never judge a book by its cover. Perhaps the same advice is true of people? When the plane landed, and folks stood once the plane got to the gate, the man with the Bible kindly asked two elderly ladies seated directly across from him if he could assist by getting their luggage out of the overhead compartment?
Immediately, my impression of the guy changed dramatically. The ability to proactively be kind to others seemed to leap off the pages of Scripture and express themselves through his actions. I found it impressive.
All My Best!
Don
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