SPECIAL NEEDS

Do you know how in whatever language and country they announce the initial boarding for the airplane? They give time for children, the aged and any needing special assistance or just a little more time in the jet way to board the plane first. Well, the other day, I was boarding the plane in Arequipa for a flight to Lima. I got up to be ready to board when the initial boarding was over but they had not announced the flight just yet. But there are signs.

I was in my little space contemplating the flight when the young woman working for LAN announced the boarding of the infants, infirm, invalid and so forth, when to my surprise, a teaming mass of tourists in full Edie Bauer and European travel-weenie attire, mixed with an array of cheap alpaca sweaters, caps and satchels surged out of their seats and forced their way to the front of the line. I bit against the desire to call them dolts but I thought very clearly, “Who are these knot heads. Can they all need special assistance, are they children, deficient or simply stupid? Are they all deaf or just cannot follow directions?” I actually got pretty heated for a moment and thought of speaking harsh words to these 25 or so dimwits.

However, just when I edged towards danger of stooping to their level, I heard one of them speak to the group. He had that smooth guttural, Charles Boyer sound to his voice. It had a strangely calming and soothing power and smoothed out my emotional wrinkles for me. It was a moment of crystal clear incisive insight. I realized that these folks really did need special help. They were French.