Epiphany in an airplane

I have to tell you about a very odd experience I had on a flight to Benghazi from Tripoli. A couple of weeks ago, my boss (Director), the Sr. Director and I were on a flight to Benghazi. The plane was packed with your typical array of local men…women and children – and a few foreigners. The plane was old, rugged and a tad bit stinky... When I finally got to my seat, I noticed there was no arm rest, the seat belt was missing and the chair was in permanent recline - the flight attendants did not requested me to adjust the chair prior to take off. Finally, after an hour on the runway, crying babies, smelling men and staring women the plane was flying high in the sky. The food and beverage cart came through, 30 minutes into the flight, but I refused because I had felt the growing need to use the bathroom. I really wanted to wait until we landed and I got to my hotel room, for a couple of reasons…did not want to get up and make a scene, a 1,000 eyes staring at me while I walked the aisle and I didn’t want to brave the toilet situation. But I could not hold it much longer. So I mustered up the courage – the courage to walk the aisle, staring straight ahead, ignoring the eyes and under breath comments. I got up, walked to the back of the plane and noticed the bathroom on the left was occupied and the one on the right was vacant. So….I opened the door to the bathroom on the right. And low and behold…there was a man, literally, taking a bath in the sink. He looked at me and I at him – while he continued to splash water on his face, over his head and all over his arms. He was soaking wet and the bathroom was a disaster. I closed the door…and then…I thought…this is ridiculous…bathing and acting like a barbarian in a public bathroom. I opened the door again and told him to move on, with my thumb pointing outwards down the aisle, I told Mr. Clean to get out! I’m not sure if it was my stern look or his embarrassment, but he scurried and scampered and rushed out – but before I could close the door, he tossed an empty soap box back into the sink. As if I needed it… I shut the door, locked it and proceeded to clean the bathroom. The toilet was a complete mess….water, pee, shat and the likes everywhere. All I wanted to do was use the toilet…nothing big. But there I was, wiping off the toilet seat with soap and water…flushing the toilet 10 times to get it unclogged and drying everything off, so I could finally go. I even sprayed some of my perfume to make it smell better. After I was done, I walked back to my seat and sighed deeply….and thought…this is what I love…hate…but what I need. Somehow my life has become about cleaning up disasters…and I’ve become good at facing confrontation head on… Which is a very positive development… But I wonder if I’m becoming too strong. Will I always want to be in control…will I never be pleased or will I always think that somehow, I need to handle it, so IT gets done right?

Ramadan starts here tomorrow even though it officially starts on Saturday the 22^nd ...go figure!! ;-)