Rollerblading Through Life

A young woman rollerblading in an airport terminal.

Rollerblading Through Life

“Did TSA hassle you about those?”  I asked, immediately upon slowing and walking closer to a fellow, young woman traveler.

“No!” The young woman, from Boseman, Montana, said to me.  “I don’t think they have any rules about things like this.  In fact, they’ve made comments about how cool it is.”

Of course, I wanted to know more because of my aching feet and admiration for her creativity.

‘I’m flying between Boseman and Tucson.  I knew I had a long, three-hour layover here, so I thought of a way to have a little fun while waiting around in the airport.”  She continued.

“When I flew in here two days ago, I used my fitness tracker to check the distance from the aircraft gate to rental car pickup and it was a 1.19-mile walk!  Rollerblading that distance would have been a breeze!  You’re the coolest person I’ve ever met!”  I commented while beaming with admiration.

But, my appreciation didn’t stop there.  Here is, perhaps, the more important principle this delightful woman taught me one snowy day, while waiting for a flight in an international airport.

I’ve passed through that same airport six times over the past two weeks and here’s an example to illustrate the story I’ve self-crafted and expressed to others about my experience.

Last week, when overhearing a man and woman ask an information agent how to get to another concourse, he gave them directions with a smile.  And, as you may have guessed, I had to give them a little extra information and advice as well. 

“Make sure you stop to get food and drink before you begin the long walk!  If you don’t, you may die from starvation or thirst before you get to your gate!”

Luckily, they were delightful people and simply laughed at my guidance.  Yet, this conversation with is a perfect synopsis of the story I had made up about traveling through that airport.

We all create such “stories” during our lives.  They build upon each other over time to become thousands and thousands of short stories that combine into one great, whole.  It’s our own unique narrative.  And, that rollerblading, joy-seeking-traveler taught me that our stories can be edited!  It’s our choice.

Here’s what an edited, new story, about my trips through that same airport could have been, had I simply used newly learned “Rollerblading Creativity.” 

“I found the best place in the world to spend time having fun on my rollerblades!  You might not believe it, but a large international airport is a place with the longest, climate-controlled blading corridors ever.  When there, I get to use my waiting time to get exercise, breeze between connections and cruise quickly to the rental car center.  But, perhaps the best part is seeing the reaction of other travelers as they see the ‘crazy’ sixty-something man skating around like a kid!”

While creating this new narrative I was interrupted.

“Paging Lynn Butterfield. Please board now!  This is your final call!”

Upon hearing this I quickly gathered my things and sprinted over to the gate agent.

“Lynn Butterfield?”  He queried.

“Yes!  I’m so sorry!  I was working (writing about roller blading around the concourse) and lost track of the time (because I was having so much fun).”  I replied as the agent scanned the boarding image from my phone.

I walked down the jet-bridge, smiling.  The time I’d spent editing this one short story of my life completely changed my airport experience.  It increased my joy and my spirits.

‘I’m flying between Boseman and Tucson.  I knew I had a long, three-hour layover here, so I thought of a way to have a little fun while waiting around in the airport.”  An amazing stranger said to me a couple of hours earlier.

Thank goodness she was there to teach me about rollerblading through life by editing the short stories, I’ve already created, and will soon write while living a lot more creatively.