Today I had the opportunity to visit a place where emotions run high: the escalator leading to baggage claim at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. If you have ever been there, you know exactly what I mean.
The escalator is the meeting spot for travelers to greet those waiting for them. It’s as close to the terminal that non-travelers can go. Those who have just landed in Atlanta experience emotions as they come up the escalator, and those waiting for them are filled with a range of emotions as well. I have been on both sides and experienced an assortment of feelings. Coming up the escalator, for example, I have felt relief to be home, excitement to see John or my parents waiting for me at the top, a little disappointment when no one is waiting for me, and exhaustion from my travel. When waiting on others, such as my sister or my parents, I have felt extremely excited, slightly irritated when the plane carrying my relative is late, and tired from waiting.
I know that many people – both, those coming up the escalator and those waiting – have not always felt as excited as I felt this morning. Not everyone travels for happy reasons like vacations, mission trips, weddings, births, or visits with loved ones. Some travel for business and are anxious or unhappy about the outcome of their meetings. Others are traveling to deal with something painful like the loss of a loved one or securing details to move an elderly parent in a senior care facility. Still others are hopeful, traveling for a job interview or to be with someone who may potentially become their spouse one day. Each of these scenarios brings with it strong emotions for both the traveler and the greeter.
Today was an especially emotional day at the Hartsfield-Jackson escalator. I arrived ecstatic to see my parents and hear about their experience overseas (I woke up feeling that way!), but I had to wait for about an hour as they weaved their way through customs. During that hour, I witnessed a wide range of emotions. A couple of employees in various transportation uniforms held up signs with names written on them, sighing occasionally and acting bored with their normal routines of picking up travelers. A man who did not speak English well paced in frustration and shouted into a cell phone in a language I couldn’t understand. A sweet little girl with bright red hair clips stood next to her mother, eagerly looking for her big sister’s smile each time the escalator rose and thrilled when she finally saw it.
The two large groups of military men and women walking through the airport made the morning particularly stirring. A constant clamor of applause and nods of appreciation followed the uniformed soldiers as they made their way through the airport. It was very touching to watch people halt their own frantic dashes through the airport to pay respect to the men and women. USO greeters shook their hands and ensured that they knew their way through the large facility, thanking each one of them during the conversations.
I literally blinked back tears as I watched several more members of the armed forces come up the escalator and get attacked with hugs and kisses as they arrived home for some duration of time. One man was greeted by an extremely excited teenage boy and a little girl who would not let go of his neck. I had to swallow the huge lump in my throat and turn away to avoid losing my composure right there.
The escalator is an essential location for emotions to peak. Several times today I observed people carrying on conversations as they scanned the faces that came up the escalator, but as soon as they saw the people they were looking for, the conversation stopped without question and their expressions, body language, and tone of voice changed – every single time. A new emotion washed over them – either joy, relief, anxiety, annoyance, uncertainty, or a combination of feelings. Simultaneously, the travelers were hit with emotion as they locked eyes with the people waiting for them on the other side.
The escalator is a place of reconnecting, letting go, first impressions, and transitions. In short, the escalator is a place where seasons of life change in an instant.
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