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After flying for a major airline for twenty-five years as a Flight Attendant, you’d have thought I would have gotten used to hearing, “Oh that sounds so exciting! I always wanted to do that. You must go to some wonderful places!” I just nod and smile. Yes, I’ve been all over the world. Yes, it’s nice to pick my schedule and have lots of flexibility. And yes it’s really nice to visit Florida in the middle of January, as I live in upstate New York! But there is another side to this ‘glitzy’ career few ever see. I have to drive to Albany Airport in New York (forty-five minutes) to wait for a plane to my hub in Philadelphia. I must fly stand-by which means I only go if there are open seats, and quite often there are none! If not, I sit three hours and wait to do this all over again. If I do make it to my hub, I often sit in the airport for several hours waiting for my trip to go out. I do not get paid for any of this travel or waiting. Sometimes we (Flight Attendants) have to rent cars or stay in hotels, at our own expense, while we’re trying to get home.
I have stayed in some very nice hotels in exotic places, but one thing remains constant. I’m always alone. If I choose to go out with the crew, I have to sit there watching them drink and shoot the breeze about worldly chatter and slanderous talk. So I usually hang by myself. Another city, where only the names of the streets and restaurants have changed. Yes it’s nice to have some alone time with God but often it gets very lonely. If you’re in Europe, cell phones don’t work to call home to friends or family. Often we get to our overnights long after midnight so it’s too late to call home anyway. Sometimes I workout, alone. I walk around the city or in a mall, alone. I eat every meal by myself. When I’m home for three or four days, every else is working. So once again, I do everything by myself. There are times when I must fly weekends and miss church. Most oftentimes, I can’t get involved in church activities that occur mid-week because I’m out of town. If there’s inclement weather, it can take me two days to get home and I’m not getting paid for any of it.
There are pluses and minuses to every job and endeavor. I’ve learned not to envy those in other positions because too often we focus on the baubles without realizing the challenges. Just look at Hollywood. I know God has me on the airplane for a reason. I ask Him to shine through me before each flight. I’ve gotten to share His grace and truth in countless ways over the years, and that more than anything, has made it well worth it!
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