There is literally a first time for everything and not enough time to experience it all. That is why experiencing other peoples joy can be equally rewarding. We recently had one of those moments.
Early this morning I boarded my flight heading to Cape Town. Having flown many times, the novelty wears off but I can still remember the very first time I ever flew on an aeroplane. I was a fresh 6-year old flying from Cape Town to Joburg to visit my family during the school holidays.
It was a daunting experience but totally exhilarating. That feeling will never be forgotten. Today I had a similar experience except through someone else.
I promptly seated myself in my assigned window seat and began working. The three women in the row in front of me started getting acquainted before the take-off. The two women, friends heading to Cape Town for an event, discussed how this flight would be a first for one of them. She had never been to Cape Town and had never been on a plane before.
She expressed her concerns and worried that it would be more than she could handle. The third woman reassured her and said the worst part was the take-off and then the landing. The rest was easy.
The conversation continued but I tuned it out and carried on working. Forgetting about the chat, we started to move along the runway to the take-off point.
The seat in front of me started to shake as the woman was overcome with nervous giggles. She was looking out the window, ready for things to start blurring passed.
The plane picked up speed and her excitement grew with every second until the nose pointed upwards and the wheels left the ground. An eruption of sheer excitement burst from the seat in front of me, a sound so filled with joy I nearly burst into tears. This woman just experienced her first take-off and it thrilled her… it thrilled the entire plane.
I have never smiled at someone else’s first experience as much as I did today.
It was a reminder that life is filled with so many new opportunities and first times. It really is the small things that count.
The next time I fly, I hope I get to encounter the same thing, it made my day and I will think of it every time I am too scared to try something new.
What is the most exciting thing you ever did for the first time?
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