Flying To Iowa

MJH had to make a quick, one way trip to Iowa this past Wednesday. My reader's will know that there are three places I enjoy meeting new folks: on the golf course, in airports and on airplanes. It's probably that I open up becoming more flippant in my conversations since chances are pretty good I'll never see these people again.If I make a massive faux pas who cares. I won't see them again so no harm no foul. I read a report that most air travelers will confide openly to strangers because there is that chance, though minute, that the other person may be the last person they ever talk to if their flight goes down. I always sit in the back of a plane. Who wants to go first? Besides, being in the last seat allows me to see the reaction of those in the first row when that bad thing happens. Then I'll know how to act without making a fool of myself.
At any rate, I was sitting in the Columbus terminal and a salesman from out east was chatting with me; asked where I was from and where I was going. After I said Iowa he wanted to what it was like. "Winter or Summer", I said. "Winter", he responded. "Take a picture frame. Put in a sheet of white paper, 8x11. Hang it on the wall and look at it until mid-April". If an Iowan lives in the top tier of the state add a month.

There were two kids, a girl age 10 and a boy, 15 onboard. They sat to my right and were from Fairmont, West Virginia. I asked where they were headed. I enjoy talking with kids. As Art Linkletter said, 'they say the darndest things'. The lad, Jamar, told me they were going to see Grandma in San Diego. Being a former teacher I know Christmas vacation starts around Dec. 20. "How'd you get out of school so early", I asked? "Just told 'em we were goin'. Bet the SAT's at Fairmont H.S. aren't that great. Anyway, as we approached Chicago I had the girl, his sister, Danija, look out my window. I pointd out the Sears Tower and told her it was one of the tallest buildings in the world. She was more interested in Lake Michigan. "Is that the ocean"? "Atlantic", I said. I didn't want to tell her the Pacific. She'd get all screwed up when she got to San Diego.
Our plane was loaded with Orientals. I'm reminding you we're flying to Des Moines, Iowa; must've been a convention going on. For awhile I thought there was a remote chance we were headed for Seoul or Inchon. Anyway, there was a couple in front of me and to the right. Both were reading a non-English book. They were conversing in non-English. All of a sudden the husband poked his wife and had her read something. You know what she did? Started laughing---in English. It came out; "Ha-ha-ha". I'd never thought of this but, as God is my witness, I wondered why it didn't sound like; "Jung-jung-jung" or words similar. Strange, huh? Do ya' think the entire world laughs in English?