People I Met

While we were on our "Vacation of a Lifetime" I met some wonderful people. First, at the airport checking our bags the guy notices my cane and says to me., "You know, my son works at the Disney theme parks and he said they are more than willing to let people in your situation go to the front of the line so you do not have to wait. Really, take advantage of it. " (Didn't happen by the way, not once, although I did have a couple people open the gate for me or ask if I needed help getting on the ride).

Since most of the planes we were on had three seats per row, Pete sat with the kids and I would sit across the aisle with strangers. In the past I would have not said a word but I am getting rather chatty in my old age. The first time there is a retired woman sitting next to me and she is from Montana going to Florida to stay with her boyfriend. He cannot come to her because he has a job which does not have retirement benefits. I resist the urge to warn about someone may be using her for her money but she is not sitting in first class so I keep quiet and wish her luck.

On another flight, I sit next to a retired couple who are from Upper Michigan but have lived in Orlando for 20 years. They are are going back to Michigan for a family reunion. I say I am from Green Bay and the guy says he worked as an electrician on the Packer Hall of Fame some 40 years ago.

Then on the short flight from Detroit to Green Bay I sit next to a stewardess who works three days a week. She works the Detroit to Tokyo flight, leaves on Monday and comes back on Wed. She is a single mom with two daughters and the older one is calling her on her cell phone every ten minutes because she wants a blackberry. The mom wants a new couch and she is getting a new couch! (The daughter has a job so she can buy her own blackberry).

Then there was the waitress at the IHOP next to our hotel and she was from Michigan as well. She knew we were from the Midwest because we did not talk with an accent. The guy I met at Discovery Cove (who goes every year with his family) was also from Michigan. He is one of those guys with the booming voices which would be great for radio. He mentions the Packers and I ask if he is a football fan and he is "big time" so we talk shop for a few minutes. (Every time I try to impress a guy with my football knowledge it turns out he is not a sports nut so now I ask).

I am starting to think we never went to Florida but ended up in Michigan!