Who We Bump Into

I walk to work when I can. Thursday, I headed out around 9:30, earbuds in, listening to the latest Ezra Klein interview. As I got to the busy street (which I cross without a light), a man came up beside me. He was taller than me by several inches and thin with white hair and lively eyes. He said, “What do you think? Shall we do it?” I took my earbuds out. He looked down the street toward oncoming traffic, and when he turned his animated face back toward me, I saw he was almost entirely toothless. Again, he leaned toward me as if we were scheming together. “Let’s take our lives into our hands.” We crossed the street together, him gleefully, as if we’d cheated death once again. I asked where he was headed. He gestured away from my direction. “Gonna get a cup of coffee down the street.” We waved to each other as we parted ways.

***

Last Sunday, I was laid over in the Salt Lake City airport. Two young women in their early 20s sat opposite me and threw the conversational ball back and forth. I didn’t pay much attention until one of the young women perked up looking down the main walkway and said to the other, “Is that her?” The other young woman half-stood and craned her neck, then said, “It is!” She moved toward the walkway.

Their tone was so excited and reverential I half expected to see Beyoncé passing our gate. Instead, the person who came into view was a petite and very young-looking woman pulling a suitcase on wheels and dressed in the stiff and official-looking clothes of a pilot. The second young woman ran up to her and they spoke excitedly. The first hung back, though the pilot waved to her. Were the pilot and second woman friends? Sisters? Cousins? I don’t know, of course, but it did appear the two young women had been keeping watch for this pilot, excited to see someone who looked like them, suited up to go fly an airplane filled with passengers.

Eventually a selfie was taken then the pilot walked on. The second woman returned to her friend, both of them filled with the giddy energy of possibility.