Magic Words

 

 

 

 

As a crowded airliner is about to take off, the peace is shattered by a 5-year-old boy who picks that moment to throw a wild temper tantrum.

No matter what his frustrated, embarrassed mother does to try to calm him down, the boy continues to scream furiously and kick the seats around him.

Suddenly, from the rear of the plane, an elderly man in the uniform of an Air Force General is seen slowly walking forward up the aisle.

Stopping the flustered mother with an upraised hand, the white-haired, courtly, soft-spoken General leans down and, motioning toward his chest, whispers something into the boy’s ear.

Instantly, the boy calms down, gently takes his mother’s hand, and quietly fastens his seat belt. All the other passengers burst into spontaneous applause.

As the General slowly makes his way back to his seat, one of the cabin attendants touches his sleeve. “Excuse me, General,” she asks quietly, “but could I ask you what magic words you used on that little boy?”

The old man smiles serenely and gently confides, “I showed him my pilot’s wings, service stars, and battle ribbons, and explained that they entitle me to throw one passenger out the plane door on any flight I choose.”

This just reminded me of one of my kids when he was very young. On his first ride in the plane after he got settled in with seat belt and all and the plane was taking off, he asked: 

How come the wings are not flapping?

🙂
 

At least kids seldom sing on planes...

the wheels on the bus go round and round

the wipers on the screen go swish swish swish

the riders on the bus go chat chat chat

😕

 

I remember my first flight!  I remarked to the stewardess " if this bus goes any faster, it will takeoff and fly"!

I remember my first flight as well. In 1954 (when I was 5), my parents and I flew from Miami to San Francisco on a TWA Connie. I was seated by the window and when the pilots were running up the engines in the runup area, I was frightened by the FIRE coming from the two engines I could see, and loudly proclaimed "Momma! The plane is on fire," much to the embarrassment of both my mom and dad!  🤪

Years ago I read an article about children’s experiences with flying, and my favorite one was a very young girl on her first flight who sometime after takeoff asked the stewardess “When do we start shrinking?” Her only experience with aircraft before had been watching planes leaving and arriving at the airport; from her perspective departing planes got smaller and arriving ones got larger.