Caught Being Sensitive!

An interesting story about the myth of male sensitivity. It is out there but hidden quite well in the dimly lit spaces around us. Could you spot it?

Sea-Tac airport Seattle WA, on a typically rainy northwest evening.

Emily payed the cab for her ride to the airport, picked up her ticket back to Chicago. A warm feeling of getting back to her small apartment and relaxing after this long trip felt welcoming. Business meetings were always a chore for her and she wished that she had a significant other to come home to. But, at just over thirty-two years of age, and three failed relationships. She didn't hold a lot of hope for that ever improving very soon.

The ticket agent welcomed Emily to her flight and that she was seated at seat 8D near the front of the plane. While walking to the gate she noticed all the other travelers flowing as a river towards their gates. Business travelers darted in and out of the slower disorganized family groups. Emily waited at the gate for the attendant to call and she noted some of the others going to Chicago today, a family with two children, a boy and a girl. The father seemed to be oblivious to his badly behaved boy, as he was getting into trouble around them. The mother was trying hard to control the boy, but she was getting frustrated and indifferent.

Emily thought, "You think that he would just lend a hand to make the day go that much easier, wouldn't you."

She thought about her other relationships from the past and wondered if all men were insensitive and uncaring about these kinds of everyday life situations. "Oh Well!" She thought, "Romance has lost it's place in her list of priorities." The gate attendant then called for her seat row for boarding.

Todd jogged at a fair clip in order get to his gate at the airport, just as the loudspeaker announced that his section of the plane was boarding. Everyone starts boarding with the usual controlled chaos, with bags hoisted overhead and everyone shuffling to their seats. Emily takes her seat and notices Todd and another man with auburn hair sitting next to him. They are to her left and slightly behind her.

The dinner is served and the movie "Beaches" starts. Todd wants to watch it but he is secretly afraid it will hit him emotionally. He has struggled for most of his life controlling his tearing up over watching emotional situations especially this movie. He rationalizes that the plane should be fairly dark so no harm to watch for a while.

Todd struggles with the movie, now Bette Middler's character is watching her daughter get married while she is standing out in the rain drenched to the bone. "Schmaltz!" Todd mutters, but he can’t stand it anymore as he fought with hiding his emotional roller coaster, he sniffs his nose and tries to cover up his emotion.

At this point, Emily while watching the same movie, reaches for her pocketbook under her seat. She glances backwards and sees Todd trying to stifle his tears. Emily shifts her seating more forward and down in order to get a close look at Todd’s eyes. But since he is trying to hide himself, she has to move quite low to see his face. With her head practically on the floor the passing attendant looks at her wondering if she is passing out.

At this point Todd notices Emily sitting in a very awkward leaning position and he is mortified that she is deliberately trying to watch him. He hides even tighter in his seat. Emily is completely surprised to find a sensitive guy crying his eyes out over this movie. She muses at his awkward attempts to hide his face, but it is way too late. Emily mumbles to herself, "I have to meet this guy, he must be an interesting person."

Todd notices that the auburn haired man next to him doing an emergency nose blow using his drink napkin. And it was a soppy blow too. The auburn haired guy, stammers, "Must be something in my eye." Todd thought this is a dead give away that he couldn't take the movie either. Todd felt redeemed and hoped that no one else noticed.

After landing, everyone moves to the baggage handling area, while Emily plots ways to meet Todd. He meets his wife at the baggage area and Emily watches with despair and listens from the other side of a pillar while they talk about their day. Devastatingly, she listens while his wife tells him that she has made a roast for dinner and would he mind if they watch a chick flick after dinner. His wife knows his weakness and jabs him lovingly.

Emily is devastated overhearing this conversation, and glances at Todd just before she leaves, he looks at her and flashes a warm smile with knowing eyes.

The young man with auburn hair moved between their locked eyes, and Todd notices the young man unknowingly drop his ticket on the floor. Todd then flicks his eyes toward auburn hair’s ticket, and then back to Emily he smiles, then mouths the word "Beaches". She looks at the ticket on the floor and over to auburn hair and picks up the ticket, she flashes a recognizing grin back at Todd then moves to catch up with auburn hair. "Excuse me did you drop this?" chirps Emily, with a huge smile, he thanks her. She asked him if he had a good flight? While smiling back at Todd.

Todd’s wife hugs him, she tells him how good it is to have him home and asks him if he would like to watch the movie "Ghost"? He smiles lovingly then asks, "Do you have any tissues?"