Oh my Buddha!

Today was weird (but cool!)

I ended up at work early becuase I had given myself a lot of extra time to get there, and managed to avoid the worst traffic by taking small highways. I turned in some paperwork and did my first turn for the day.

When I got to the elevator to my crew lounge there was a Buddhist monk sitting on one of the seats. I went up to him and asked him if I could buy him lunch. I don't know if this was weird of me to offer, I read that in Asian buddhism people do nice things for the monks to improve their Karma, so I hope it wasn't too weird to him. He didn't understand me right away (I think he was Tibetan) but he said "I already ate" I said "okay" and left. That might have been weird, but I just didn't want to bug him I guess.

I went downstairs to pickup the rollerbag the company buys for F/As of one year senority, and brought it up the elevator. As if all the Buddhas and Bottisatvas told him I was coming up at that moment, when the door opened the monk was looking in my direction with a gentle smile on his face. Oh my god I wanted to talk to him so bad! He was sitting there so peacefully, I just wanted to be in his presence. I smiled and waved at him and he nodded and smiled. I kept going towards the exit, but wished he had accepted lunch, or that I had offered him ice cream or something. But I didn't want to bug him, so I went back to my car, but in the glowy-est mood just having been around him. The presence he gave off is the presence I want to have, and I just felt calm and happy :)

On my flight to Tennesee a sort of loud blonde flight attendant sat in the front seat. We chatted a little, she was telling me of how she was planning to cheat on her husband. It was what she had to do, apparently, to stay married to him. She was in her late 30's and I could tell by looking at her that she was at one time very attractive. She had a California accent too young for her face. I looked at her and could see how some of the girls I am jealous of today will be in the future, and knew I didn't want that.

She ended up telling me that she was going to rehab. She was obviously scared, but covering it with a smile. She told me about the night before, when she got really drunk and made out with a 22 year old. She told me about the time she kissed a professional football player, and when his wife found her number in his phone he tried to cover it up by saying she just wanted tickets- which could get her in more trouble than sex would!

I happened to have the Buddhism book "Letting go of the person you used to be" Yes, it was a corny as hell thing to do but I gave it to her. She may throw it out the moment she reads the first page, or she or someone there might get some comfort from it. I found it kind of weird that I happened to bring this particular book on the day I was meeting someone who desperately needed to let go of some "attachments" and "clinging."

If I am ever going to apply for mainline (she works for mainline) now is the time! I'm too tired to go into the details, but I would build senority fast, and my pilots are going to strike soon, so maybe I should "strike" while the iron is hot. Something to think about.