The boarding line

Final boarding call for flight to Dublin, said the voice through the loudspeaker. I stood up and walked toward the end of the boarding line. It was one of those long, winding lines. There was a bit of awkwardness to figure out where to stand at the end of the line. As I maneuvered my way into a position in line, I smiled at someone who was, too, lining up at the end of the queue. I think I smiled in part because I was nervous: if someone lined up behind me, it meant I was in the right place. And in part because I love smiling.

The woman smiled back and we started talking. She pointed out the murals that she saw and enjoyed in San Francisco. I said I appreciated the art, too. I started visualising the streets with boundless colour.

Now, as I write, I am thinking about the colours of the city again. There is a magic patina in San Francisco that required more than that moment to reflect on: the houses that look like they are castles fit for a princess, the purple houses the likes of which I have not seen elsewhere, the vintage stores of the Haight.

I wonder if the woman saw the mural that I saw while in a taxi. The mural read: “Joy is the fuel for our collective strength.” It made me smile then. It makes me smile now. I will never know.

I love moments that, on reflection, spur your imagination like this conversation did. The woman pointed out the murals, and now I’m thinking about the art I saw. (I wonder if the “peace, love, granola” I saw written on the street is art. I think it is.)

Back to the story. I thought about the art of the city, then the woman and I started chatting about our trips. I spoke of my time at the beach and enjoying the sand. She noted that the sea was a bit too cold for her, but the weather was nonetheless pleasant. We went back and forth until reaching the end of the queue. This discussion made what would have been a rather mundane experience – waiting in line before a long flight – into a delightful moment.

Before boarding, I looked ahead at a couple. One of them was playing Wordle, consulting with their partner on what to do on the second from final chance they had to get the word of the day. They figured out the word and both celebrated. It was a joy to see someone solve a puzzle. It reminds me of how I feel when I think of the solution to a problem with computers; filled with delight at finding a solution that requires creativity amid constraints.