Words.........

So I have an open confession to make...I'm the person who gets on a plane and always asks about the second or third row back…."excuse me is that seat taken.” and I always seem to get the same response….The person just stands up without saying a word and lets me in the middle seat. Not my favorite but it beats the back of the plane. However, this time was different I asked an elderly man that, and he stood up shook his head, and motioned with his hands to sit down. The lady against the window was already deeply engrossed with her book about movements across America. Confession number two -I am also someone who talks to complete strangers on a plane. Most of my flights are only an hour long so it is just enough time for someone to spill there guts to a complete stranger however, again yesterday was different. I just felt like reading and to be honest I fell asleep before they even asked what kind of drink I wanted. But woke up just in time to see the elderly man writing what kind of drinks he wanted on a piece of paper.. Coffee and some tomato like juice drink. Weird combo. But whatever floats your boats. Anyway so he wrote the order and the lady said “alright sir” and then he just shook his head in a notion of thanks. Again words would have been just fine. I love watching people and this man was different so it made me loose sight of Blue Like Jazz and try to figure him out. It was within just a few moments that the flight attendant returned with his fresh brewed sky coffee and juice. I simply listened again to see if he said anything, but again nothing but the head nod. Confession number three -I smiled/giggled inside when I watch this man drag his juice to his cup of coffee and try with the red stir to move a piece of ice from his juice to his coffee. It was after a couple of failed attempts that he finally made two pieces of ice into his coffee (which I find gross, coffee is meant to be hot just let it cool down) Confession number four.. I really wanted to take a piece of paper out and write “what’s your story” and slide it to this man…… However, I did not I sat silent again in hopes that he might say something or even chuckle at his attempts to move the ice. But nothing…… by this time the pilot had come across the speaker and announced our descend into Lubbock. It just happened to be at the moment that I started to recall some of the people in my life that talk so much their words are nothing more than noise to my ears. Those people who name drop, the ones that the conversation is about what they did, where they are going, and what you aren’t doing… these types of peoples words have such a bad aroma to me. It was in the short ten minutes until we landed that I found myself wondering what my words are like….. Do I speak so much that my words are just noise and no one wants to hear what I have to say even if I cried wolf…. Or am I like the elderly man where people really do want to know what I have to say yet don’t ever actually say it. I realize actions speak louder than words but what St. Francis of Assisi said "Preach the gospel. And if necessary, use words." comes to my mind. I haven’t actually found my answer all I know is I found myself humming “praise the one who paid my debt it raises life up from the dead” and this elderly man whom I thought could have been on his death bed started pulling out is blackberry from his coat pocket and paused and showed me his case….there was a white inked cross on it ~ I smiled and the flight attendant said on behalf of southwest airlines I would like to welcome you to Lubbock……