Monday, October 27, 2014
The year was 1972 or '73. It's not important to the story so I shall marshall on. (Wouldn't Mrs. Kistler be impressed with that last sentence?) I had been stationed at the Long Beach Naval Hospital for a while when Mary called and asked me what I was doing over the next weekend. I told her nothing, but I thought I could get out of it. She invited me to fly up to San Francisco to visit with her and her boys, so I got out of my non-existant plans and took off for the airport. I got nervous when the stewardess, as they were called back then, came out and whispered something to the gate person who looked at me, gestured to me with a one quick, sharp snap of her fingers sending me into a cold sweat and shakes. I was already trying to form the words to explain to Mary that I had been ejected from the flight before I even got on. Well, great, just great, that's all. Now what? My ride had already left and I had no money for a taxi.(This is where there would be many red marks on my story for having too many words in it.) Anyway, as you have probably figured out from the title, I was actually being told the plane was overbooked but if I wouldn't mind, there was seat left in first class. I had no idea what that meant. But, I soon figured out it must not be a bad thing as she told me I would not be charged the difference in the ticket price. Wait. I just realized I could have been charged less and been sitting out on the wing! But, I wasn't, so let us soldier on. Folks, I tell you It was nothing less than groovy! ( You MUST have known that word would work it's way in somehow, after all, it was the 70's.) I had a seat big enough to double as a clown car. I was given all I could drink - soda. I was served a basket with fresh fruit, crackers and cheese, a little tea sandwich and presented with a hot towel afterward. A HOT TOWEL!!! Please, I'm making a lot of that for, even though I had clue at the time what that was all about, I know full well now. Yep, hand washing. Cool. Had a little nap, arrived in San Francisco - ON TIME as they did that in those days - found my sister waiting for me with her boys and hugged her hard as I had in me. I thanked her very much for inviting me at just the right moment in time at which point our Mary smiled warmly and said, "That's what big sisters are for." I flew for 45 minutes that day on a day so clear and so blue, but our big sister gave us first class service as best she could all of her life. I just plain miss my big sister...j
