OPINION:
Just outside the jetway was a sight not too unusual — men in uniform and several soldiers. But on this occasion not long ago, what did garner a little more notice than I would normally take was their service dress. In very official uniform, these men diligently looked around. I would later see that the traveler they sought had already gotten past and made it to the baggage claim area.
Flying 50 weeks per year for two decades, I’ve seen a lot in airports: happy reunions, bereaved embraces, frantic moms chasing toddlers, beleaguered travelers arguing with beleaguered gate agents — even passengers in a fistfight, once. I often wonder about the backstory of the poignant life experiences playing out in public view.
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Waiting one day in Raleigh’s RTP airport I noticed a man in his mid-20s struggling to get something out of his jacket pocket. The young woman with him was looking the other way at the time, but when I saw the square velvet box in the guy’s shaking hands, I thought, “Oh, wow! Am I about to witness what I think is happening…?”
As the girl turned around, she stared down at a ring held by a guy on one knee. For a second, she froze, focusing on the unexpected sight, and we few dozen spectators in the gallery froze, too. Gasps and applause filled the gate area as we all heard a heartfelt, “Yes,” and the two embraced. Traveling, though tiring and often exasperating, has impressed me with memories more indelible than passport stamps.
Political seasons, like time in airports, are temporary.
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Over the last year, I’ve overheard more than a few acrimonious conversations about the election. I recently watched a flight attendant separate two arguing passengers on a flight leaving Dallas. The surrounding passengers (including myself) watched in mild, silent shock as two flight attendants had to sternly warn the angry politicos.
In no way do I intend to minimize the implications of the upcoming election. These are serious times, and all around us swirls information, accusations, predictions, laments and lies. No wonder that some mental health professionals believe that the perpetual election cycles inflict on many a level of PTSD. Campaign clamor is exhausting, and it’s safe to say that we all just want to be done with it.
Americans are deeply invested because elections have consequences. Most people at this point are not undecided, and those who are sure for whom they will vote are very decided. But I witnessed something at that Texas airport that, to my politically obsessed mind, was a wake-up call: I saw something that reminded me to save my strongest emotions for the things that matter well beyond any election cycle.
I hadn’t thought too much about the steely-eyed soldiers looking about my arrival gate. But walking to the baggage claim area, I remembered they were flanked by a couple of TSA agents. Had the soldiers been escorted to the gate area for some reason? Were the soldiers themselves not flying, but meeting somebody?
Among the crowd at baggage was a middle-aged woman, wearing a sweatshirt that read, “Proud Mom of a U.S. Army Soldier.” No one could’ve missed her, all smiles, holding a flag on a stick in one hand, and a home-made “Welcome Home!” poster in the other. No security camera in that building scanned the incoming throngs any more diligently. The smiling mom craned her neck non-stop looking for her boy.
A very bleak thought hit me as I mentally connected some dots. A moment later, my heart sank at what suddenly played out: The uniformed soldiers approached the woman, drew her to the side, and began to talk. The clank of the conveyor belt and tumbling suitcases were the only sound as everyone around grew silent.
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We couldn’t hear the words of those soldiers to that woman, but we all knew: The poor woman slumped into a nearby seat, profusely weeping as the men delivered somber news. The poster slid downward, and the little flag fell to the floor as if commemorating her fallen son.
An older man glanced my way, attempting to clear his throat. I prayed for those soldiers doing their best to comfort a mom, intercepted at the airport with the most painful news imaginable.
Here ’tis my guaranteed prediction about the 2024 election: The sun will come up on November 6, no matter who wins or loses the day before. The love of family members and friends will still shape us more and matter more to us than any temporal events.
Take a breather from this all-too-intense season; walk outside and think about what a priceless blessing is another day of life. Savor the scents of autumn and the turning of the leaves and remember the fun of throwing acorns at your siblings. Think back on the times your mom handed you a spatula of frosting to lick, while she iced cupcakes for your school’s fall festival. Life has been good — and it will continue to be.
Politics affects our lives, but life is more than politics. We’re Americans — neighbors, relatives and friends, no matter who’s in the White House. Let’s not miss a single day.
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Dr. Alex McFarland is a youth, religion and culture expert, a national talk show host and speaker, educator, and is author of 20 books. McFarland directs Biblical Worldview and apologetics for Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, CO. Via the American Family Radio Network, Alex is heard live on Exploring the Word, airing daily on nearly 200 radio stations across the U.S. The Alex McFarland Show airs weekly on NRBTV, providing Biblically faithful TV and discussion on current events affecting our nation.
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