choices & contemplations
There is a time in every job, and in every day, that you have a choice. Your choice is simple to the eye, but sometimes hard in actual practice. You see, we may choose to be great no matter if we are having a wonderful day or if we are having a challenging day; on the flip side we can let things stir inside us causing our internal conflict to reflect into our everyday life.
In training we were taught that you must put whatever you have going on in your life aside in order to be truly be fit to fly and to best serve our guests. Naturally, we all agreed up, down and sideways that there would be no problem, of course we would put aside drama, frustration and exhaustion for the job. No biggy...right?
But what happens when they put you out on a trip when you’re in the middle of a big fight with your boyfriend, or you are in the middle of a 4 day when you get the call that one of your kids went home sick from school, or you have to be in Oakland on your birthday? Or people in first class are giving you a hard time and you’re just plain tired?
When reality strikes, will you be able to push aside any feelings or qualms about your internal struggles? What happens if you take out your frustration out on a passenger? Or because you can’t stop thinking about your kiddo who is home not feeling well, you forget to lock a galley latch? Or what if you just don’t know how to put on a smile, when you are feeling like your world is crumpling down (aka, every month when I get a visitor from a special ‘friend’)?
In this job, we’re required to be friendly, personable and full of smiles. These are attributes that help passengers feel at ease and secure like they have no worries. But what is the trick when we just don’t feel like pushing through is possible?
Sadly, I’m not sure if I have the correct answer to that. But for me? What makes me feel better, often, is making sure others days are better than the one I’m having. I give a kid that’s screaming in row 21 some princess juice to help her calm down, cause who doesn’t wanna be a princess when your 5? I give the couple that is flying home from a loved ones funeral a cheese platter and glass of wine and talked with them during a break. I helped an older lady who couldn’t walk get down the ramp where her wheel chair was waiting for her. I helped a unaccompanied minor who had projectile vomited on herself change into new clothes and wash up, even as she threw up again on me.
You see, it’s not always about how can I make my day better, but what can I do to make their day better. Because I’m reality, often, there are others who are having worse days then you. If you were in a bad mood, or chose to do your job sub par, how would you ever find that out though?
The choice is all yours, what kind of day you want to have or whether or not to turn it around even if you are having a crummy day. We all have that same choice, but the real question is, do we choose the greater choice or the easier choice?
