chelsea headingSometimes coincidences may not be that at all. Sometimes. However, the other day as I was fulfilling my volunteer obligation at the Tulsa as an expert on everything airportish, I had a chance to prove this. After observing a young man who appeared to be lost and not knowing what was next, I attracted his attention and he came over to the desk. Please allow me to step sideways for a second and explain something you already know.
When you do something several times and pay attenion, you should develop a feel for that subject. I have been behind the information desk enough times that I can almost always spot someone who either doesn’t have a clue as to what to do next or is standing with a blank look on their travel worried face. Usually I stand as that motion gets their attention and, as a psychological move, puts us on about the same level. I am no longer their “third grade teacher” sitting behind an authoritarian desk ready to scold them for not paying attention. All that to explain that this particular young man wandered around far too long which let me know he was lost. As it turned out, major lost.
So as he told me what he needed I knew there was a problem as it took three tries for him to communicate he was looking for Oklahoma A&M College. There was some confusion as he is from Bahama and his accent was unfamiliar to me. Also, he left off the “College” name which made it harder for me. He was here to start this semester and did not know what to do as there was no one there to meet him. Yessir, I am getting to my original point.
Of course my “job” is to help people but a young person from another country being left alone in a strange airport with no guidance is just “a bit much” to me. I had my lap top there so I tried to find his college and, thanks to the wonderful world of Microsoft, it only took about a half-hour. He tried to quit several times as my Google searches on Microsoft turned up taxis, Uber and apartments. More than once I loudly bemoaned I did not have my Apple computer as it actually finds what one is looking for. Nossir, I would not let him give up as I could sense that if there was supposed someone to meet him they would have been there. There should have been but there wasn’t. But finally, despite Microsoft’s best efforts, I did get the telephone number.
Things improved. I placed the call and handed him my telephone when a distinguished sounding male voice answered. Young Bahamian had a name and was connected. After signing off the Bahamian asked me how far it was. Again I asked my computer and again got several taxi results, bus lines and airport services. The other info-lady punched her phone about three times and had the answer as just over 90 miles. My lap top was continuing way into insanity but I controlled myself and didn’t do the Tahitian War Dance with clubs upon it’s bright red body. Now there was, to me, another problem. The problem of this young guy having to wait in the airpot for almost two hours was scandalous to me. But I had helped all I could.
We chatted for a while after he had made arrangements and I found he was a musician coming to study music. That was a TaaDaa moment for me. He lit up like a neon sign when I told him I had taught music for, uhh, uhh, a long time. We had another connection we could communicate on. As OK A&M is a two year college i told him what I knew about continuing after that, or even after this first year. When I asked him if he was a vocalist or pianist as he didn’t appear to have an instrument with him, he quickly replied that he was not. So I asked him what instrument he played and he casually replied, “All of them.”
Upon further conversation I begin to think that this was a distinct possibility. The way he explained it was so much a part of my decades of teaching that I would like to follow his career. There are some savants in this world who can do things just because there are things to do. Mostly scientist and athletes get the notoriety for being super-good at their chosen craft. Seldom ever do we hear about musicians, unless, of course, they are in a band and make zillions of dollars.
But that part doesn’t matter to me.I was given the opportunity to help someone who really needed help and we got it all settled. Think about your life. When was the time you helped someone who needed your help whether it was a major case or just helping. Maybe that’s one reason we are here.