As I sat in the Atlanta airport this afternoon, awaiting my connecting flight to Melbourne, FL, a woman and her three young children sat down beside me. The two eldest were boys, and typical of such creatures, spent the better part of the hour plus wait, aggravating each other. Meanwhile, the youngest, a little four year old girl, natural restlessness augmented with soda and Starburst candy, spun and rolled in the chairs, legs in the air, shirt pulled up to her armpits, skirt whirling about, as mom tried to tame her. She was a bundle of energy and a vocal one at that. Somehow I knew, I JUST knew, these were destined to be on the same plane to Melbourne, and would be seated in close proximity to me.
I was not wrong. I was in the very last row and they had the seats two rows in front of mine. Between our rows sat a pilot, catching a courtesy flight home. Just as the flight crew was closing the doors, the little girl announced in no uncertain terms, "I have to go to the bathroom, NOW!!!" everyone cracked up, as they obviously related this little girl's determined cry...each, clearly had either raised a little one with a similar demeanor, or had been one...but we all laughed. And off she trotted to use the airplane bathroom. At four years old, it was obvious, she was an old hat at the airline lavatory process.
As we all buckled in for take off, the little girl insisted her mother ask the flight attendant to rule on an apparent dispute between mother and daughter. The flight attendant assured the self-assured child that she DID indeed have to remain buckled in the entire flight EXCEPT when she had to use the restroom....and she noted with some glee that the gentleman sitting directly behind the child was a pilot and would make SURE the little girl obeyed! I suppose it comes as no surprise to anyone that the little girl had at least four trips to the restroom during the hour long flight!
I let everyone else disembark the plane ahead of me, and I had to smile as I strolled past the ladies restroom in the Melbourne airport. For, as clear as a bell, the now-familiar voice of the little four year old was announcing to anyone who would listen, that she had to use the bathroom AND wash her hands......
My youngest brother was like that, in a way. We NEVER went anywhere where Ray didn't take an immediate opportunity to find and use the restroom. We use to laugh about it, but I had completely forgotten about it until I encountered this little girl today in the Atlanta airport. Funny trigger to funny memories.
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