FIRST CLASS PASSENGER SPOTS A SERVICEWOMAN SITTING IN THE FLYING COACH AND ASKS HER TO GET UP FROM HER SEAT
For some people traveling can be fun, it gives them an opportunity to explore different places that help them gain more knowledge. There are certain people who are avid travelers who are just looking for a chance to escape from their mundane routine and explore the untrodden roads. They don’t even have a problem with public transportation as they are always keen to meet new people while traveling to unknown cities. But there are certain people who usually don’t like to travel and especially when it comes to traveling by public transportation they simply want to avoid it as much as possible. But sometimes your work takes you to places even if you don’t want to. The protagonist of the story was also one of those people who would rather stay at home than to travel to a place to watch a mesmerizing sunrise. But then one unexpected journey changes his life forever.
Public Transportation
Traveling seems to be more fun when you’re traveling in your own car with your friends. It has its own perks, you can sit the way you want without feeling any awkwardness and reach the destination at your convenient time. But sometimes, while traveling to a faraway place we have to take public transportation which can cause inconvenience to many people.
Trouble
One of the frequent complaints that people have while traveling by public transportation especially planes is that they have to adjust in a limited space and sit in an upright position for a long time. It can be quite uncomfortable particularly for people who travel in a fly coach. Because then they have to be extra careful so as to avoid causing inconvenience to fellow passengers. But is that always so easy?
Lazy Young Man
The protagonist of the story wasn’t a travel freak so he would often avoid traveling whenever he could. But there come certain situations in life when you can not avoid traveling. Whenever he had to travel, he used to book his seats in the first class so that he doesn’t have to compromise his comfort. But the situation never remains the same and sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zone too. Would the young man be able to understand this?
Unexpected
One day his brother called him to invite the young man to his wedding, even though he was doubtful that he would come. Everybody was well aware that he disliked traveling but he wanted his brother to be present at his wedding and thought of requesting him. He called him so that he could make up his brother’s mind to attend the wedding. What would the young man say?
The Call
When he called him in the evening to tell him about the happy news, the young man jumped with joy and asked him about the dates of the wedding. His brother told him about the wedding date and venue and requested him to attend his wedding. He too agreed to come but several things were running inside his mind.
Christmas
The wedding date was near the Christmas holidays, which meant that seats in the flight might be booked in advance. He wanted to ensure his convenience so he called the reception at the airport to know if there was any seat in the first class. He couldn’t think of traveling in economy class. Would he be able to get a seat in the first class?
The Struggle
He was praying to get a seat in the first-class even if he had to pay a little extra amount for the journey. But he couldn’t bear to travel in the economy class, he waited patiently for the receptionist to answer. But his dreams shattered in pieces when she told him that there was no seat available in the first class. What would he do now?
Request
He requested the attendant again to check if there was any chance that he could book a seat in the first class. He was disappointed when she told him that nothing could be done at the moment. He was also aware that there would be less possibility of finding a desirable seat because Christmas was near and people would be going home. Would he be able to attend his brother’s wedding?
Emotional
He couldn’t get any sleep that night because he knew that his presence meant the world to his brother and he would be disappointed if he missed his wedding. And there was no seat in the first-class so he probably has to book his seat in the economy class which clearly meant that he has to sit upright for more than 5-6 hours. He thought about it for the whole night and slept through the alarm.
Finding Ways
He somehow managed to reach his office on time but throughout the day same thoughts were running inside his mind. He needed to find a way to attend his brother’s wedding. He asked his colleagues too but as expected none of them could help him with his problem. Would he cancel the plan or find a way out?
Going Back To Work
When he couldn’t find any solution, he thought he should give himself a little time and maybe some solution would pop up in his mind. So he went back to work and put all his focus on the project that he was working on. He worked late at night so his mind wouldn’t wander around and finally, he left the office when he was extremely exhausted.
A Few Days Later
When a few days went by and still he couldn’t figure out any solution, he finally gave up. His brother’s wedding was his primary concern and just because he wasn’t getting a comfortable seat, he couldn’t afford to miss his brother’s wedding. He had to do something and that too really soon. What was he planning to do?
The Receptionist
The next morning, he called the receptionist again and before she could say anything he asked if there was any seat left in the economy class. The receptionist was taken aback by this question because whenever he had booked his seat he used to emphasis on getting a first-class seat or else would postpone his plans. She thought there had to be a significant reason that the young man was compromising his comfort.
The Seat
She said that there were a couple of seats left in the economy class of the flight. The man remained silent for a while and the woman was constantly thinking about what he would say. He cleared his throat and then he said something that completely surprised her. What might have he said?
Compromise
When she told him that there were a few seats left he was silent for a while and then asked her to book a seat for him. For a second, he couldn’t hear any reply from the lady who was on the other side of the phone. He said her name aloud again she asked him if he was joking. He giggled and told her the reason why it was important for him to travel and told her that he couldn’t postpone his visit.
Booking Tickets
Finally, she realized that he wasn’t joking at all and he really wanted to have the seat so without wasting any time she went ahead to book his seat. He was relieved that finally, he would be able to go to his brother’s wedding. As soon as he reached home he started packing his bags and picked everything that he would need on the flight.
Last Night
He was super excited about the journey although he could only get an economy class ticket, he was happy that he wouldn’t miss the chance of being present on his brother’s big day. As he was about to leave his cabin the night before his flight, his phone rang. He was quite doubtful because he wasn’t expecting to receive a call at this time. Who might have called him?
Concerned
He picked up the phone and a woman on the other side of the phone greeted him, he took no time to recognize that it was the receptionist. He was concerned and thought why she might have called him at this hour of the day. And when he asked her, he got the surprise of his life. What might have she said?
The Offer
She seemed to be quite calm and told him that one of the passengers had postponed his journey, so there is a chance that he could still get a first-class ticket. He couldn’t believe his ears and asked her to confirm the same. She checked in her computer and confirmed him about the vacant seat, he asked her to book the seat for him immediately.
Journey
He was all set to board the flight, he called his brother and told him about the details of his journey. His brother was extremely happy that finally, he would be able to make it to his wedding. He slept early that night so that he could wake up on time. He had already booked a cab so that he wouldn’t have any problem going to the airport.
The Flight
He reached the airport before the time because he was aware that the first-class passengers are boarded before others are. But there was another category of passengers that were boarded prior to any class of passengers. Who were they and why were they given such a privilege?
Military Personnel
There is a rule in many airlines and according to the rule, military personnel is able to board the plane earlier than other passengers boarding the flight. Many former or current members of the United States are given this special facility and are boarded prior to any other passenger so that they don’t have to hustle to get a seat. And after that, the first-class passengers are boarded.
Boarding
So finally the time came when the young man was going to board the plane. He was extremely excited and wanted to take his seat immediately. He made his way through the crowd and sat on in his seat, took off his blazer and put his earphones on. He was thinking about all the things he would be saying when he would raise a toast for his brother’s wedding.
Uncomfortable
He tried to adjust in the seat but he was finding it difficult to sit there. He was tall so he needed extra legroom. However, he had to adjust in the seat somehow now, because he wanted to reach home and help in preparations for the wedding. As he was going to close his eyes to take a nap he saw something that made him contemplate his situation.
Spotted
While the young man struggled to have a little extra legroom, he saw a heartwrenching scene. The first-class flyer spotted a woman who was wearing a military uniform sitting in the coach area. She was struggling to adjust but she didn’t complain about it to the attendants and his eyes widened in surprise.
Complaining
A lot of times we complain about the things we don’t have, without even thinking or being grateful for the small things that we are blessed to have while other people are deprived of them. There may be several people out there who struggle to get a loaf of bread or don’t have a roof over their heads even after working so hard for the whole day.
Shame
He felt embarrassed because he was sitting in the first class and complaining about unnecessary things and there she was sitting there in a small and congested space she had. He tried to close his eyes but now he could think of nothing else but the woman. He had to do something for her, after all, it was because of her that he use to sleep peacefully on his bed without being afraid of the unknown danger. But what would he do?
Taking Steps
He thought over and over again because the step he was going to take was quite unusual for him. He walked over to her and said the following: “Sorry ma’am, I’m in your seat.” She looked at him and was confused because she had double-checked her seat number before sitting on it then how could she have mistaken. She checked her ticket again. Was she really sitting in the wrong seat?
Confirmation
She was perplexed and checked her ticket again. She then faced the young man and confirmed that she was sitting in the right seat. “What? No – I’m 31B,” she replied to him. But he insisted her to sit in his seat. She couldn’t understand why the man was insisting on taking his seat. Then he explained his motive, would she be able to understand?
Good Deed
He then explained to her that he was offering his seat as a polite gesture and wanted to thank her for her services towards the nation. She was really touched by his offer and was stunned that a man who had paid for a first-class seat was willing to give up his seat for her. The attendant who had always seen him complaining about one thing or the other was now surprised as he offered his seat to the woman.
Grateful
After a lot of requests, she finally agreed to sit on his seat and thanked him for being so thoughtful. On the other side, he sat on the woman’s seat compromising his comfort for the solider. Now he didn’t feel any discomfort instead he was happy that he could do something for the woman because of whom he could roam fearlessly. But at the same time, he didn’t want to grab any eyeballs too.
Flying Coach
So he sat in the flying coach for the rest of the journey and didn’t complain about anything. But there was one passenger who watched him from changing his seat to thanking the soldier. She was moved by his act and wanted to make him feel special, she knew that he wanted to remain anonymous, so Jessica who had seen him doing the good deed thought of doing something for him. What was she planning to do?
Acknowledge
She thought of the ways through which she could also acknowledge his deeds and decided to slip him a note with some bills attached to it. The generosity that the man had shown was much more than what she was going to do. She thought of writing something on the slip. What was she going to write?
Touching Lines
Inside the note, she wrote that she knew what he had done and wrote that it was the most thoughtful gesture anybody could show for any soldiers that sworn to protect the public. She told him that she knows that he doesn’t want to grab attention but she couldn’t stop herself from thanking him for his kind gestures so she had written this note.
The Note
This is what she wrote in the note: “Seat 31 B – Please accept a drink or snack on me. If everyone treated people the way you treated the servicewoman, the world would be a better place.” With this note, she attached a small bill and requested him to get himself some snacks and drinks. Would he accept the offer?
Returning The Favor
The young man was really touched that instead of making a video and uploading it on the internet, she had chosen to acknowledge his gesture this way. He was happy that she respected his decision of remaining anonymous. However, he politely refused her offer. He exchanged his seat because he was grateful for her services to the nation and couldn’t see her struggling for a seat when she could have easily used her powers to get one. But he couldn’t accept anything in the return. Would Jessica understand his motive?
Spoiler Alert
“Spoiler alert, he refused my offer. Do good. Recognize good. Make the world better,” Jessica then wrote on Facebook. She ended up sharing the story on her Facebook page and as expected it immediately went viral. Everyone was blown away by the kindness shared between strangers. But she maintained his anonymity.
Viral
Just a few hours after sharing the inspiring story on her facebook page, another famous page named Love What Matters too shared the story on their page and resulting in gaining more fans. The post got an insane amount of likes and almost 40,000 people liked, shared and commented on the post.
The Comment Section
People flooded the comment section with kind words and some of them shared their own experiences too. “Someone did this for my husband and me on our flight back to Kansas from California. Forever grateful for people’s appreciation for our servicemen and women, especially my husband,” Kate Nixon, another facebook user wrote her experience in the comment section.
Kind Words
“Love in action for all 3 people – the servicewoman, the one giving up his seat, the one rewarding the one who gave up his seat. Thank you all. Love always wins,” Dianne Black wrote in the comments of the post written by Love What Matters. People were coming forward to share their incredible experiences with one another.
Kind Gestures
These stories remind us that in this money-driven world, there are some people who show such kind gestures towards the soldiers or a needy person that makes us believe that people haven’t forgotten their moral values. Today’s generation has become inconsiderate and doesn’t like taking responsibilities even in their own houses. Hence sharing such an act on the internet is just a way to make them realize how lucky and protected they are because someone is standing on the borders so that they can sleep peacefully. Hope stories like these will help make the world a better place to live for the future generation.
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