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A Lesson in Humanity at 30,000 Feet

 By Stephen C. Schultz


The voice was kind but direct and authoritative:

“You two… are you together?”

There was a look back and forth between the two, speaking volumes in a nonverbal way.

“Is she talking to us?”

“Come back here with me. Sit right here,” she said.

The two young men complied without saying a word and sat right behind me.


The woman, most likely in her late forties or early fifties, moved forward a few steps and instinctively reached down to pick up a toddler. The toddler, wide-eyed and looking all around, did not fuss or resist. In fact, she hunkered down on the lady’s hip and made eye contact with everyone as they moved gracefully up and down the aisle.

I was impressed with the kindness and decorum demonstrated by this motherly figure, who was comfortable holding a toddler while fulfilling her duties as a flight attendant on a Delta flight from Monroe, Louisiana, to Atlanta, Georgia. She welcomed weary travelers onto the plane without missing a beat. The toddler’s mother was doing her best to get their luggage and belongings situated when the flight attendant stepped forward and offered to hold the little girl while her mother settled into their seats and prepared for the flight.

The flight attendant—I’ll call her Carol (unfortunately, I didn’t get her name)—handed the little girl back to her mother, who breathed a heavy sigh and thanked her for the assistance. While Carol was helping the mother, I overheard the two young men behind me whispering:

“These aren’t our seats. Why are we sitting here?”


Carol then worked her way back to the young men. She explained that the flight was not full and that she had noticed they were above average in height and weight. She mentioned that there were two seats near an exit with much more legroom. If they were willing to assist in an emergency, they could take those seats instead of their originally purchased ones—even though they were a bit more expensive. The two young men accepted and moved down the aisle with smiles on their faces.

The flight crew went through their standard safety instructions and prepared the cabin for takeoff. As Carol came down the aisle offering snacks and drinks, I leaned forward and mentioned that I appreciated her kindness and that such acts of selflessness did not go unnoticed. She thanked me and said with conviction:

“I just like to treat people the way I would like others to treat me and my family.”

What a great example and lesson for us all. When humanity gets “back to basics” and re-engages with the “fundamentals” of life, good things happen!

What are some of your experiences that include Random Acts of Kindness (RAK)?

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