“Airports are cities of their own, but there’s also no leader. They’re in a constant state of rebellion and unrest. You want me to navigate myself in a place like that?…”
Airports are like a world of their own, well, at least a country all their own. Busier airports on top of that are the worst to navigate in alone. Traveling to meet my Master, as I’ve said before, did require some flying. No matter how many times we talked about what to do at the airport, it still doesn’t compare to actually going through it. Flying out of Chicago, when I haven’t flown much before, was a bit crazy. Being dropped off at the airport made everything final, as up to that point, I could turn around. Once at the airport, my mind really had only one direction to go. To be honest, I’d like to say I was scared, nervous, even worried, but I can’t. Part of this certainly was being able to still call my Master, who knew how at the very least, to direct me. No, I wasn’t able to be worried or scared, simply because there wasn’t enough time.
Navigating the airport was extremely frustrating, but I started to notice behavior changes about myself. Usually, I’d have hated to be alone, especially in an unfamiliar place. This time, with the ability to call my Master, I was able to function more like a slave. There’s an odd confidence that slaves have, which transfers to situations like this. I was able to blend into different crowds of people, or walk alone with absolutely no worries. That skill ended up being an extremely good thing, as I ended up traveling quite a bit around the airport. Not to mention, I ended up asking four people different questions, while usually I’d have been afraid to ask a single one. Being a slave, especially with a determination to do a task, there’s not much I wasn’t willing to do. My comfort zone had earlier been erased, or at the very least, recreated.
There were many frustrating things about the airport, things that the average traveler experiences. For me, the main thing seemed to be how there were never instructions. I’d never traveled before, and for the most part, didn’t even know how to get my tickets. Once at the correct place however, it was unusually easy to simply watch people. It’s my understanding that slaves are good at this skill too. We, as slaves, watch people, learn the situations, and then make our own judgement or conclusions. The strange part is, the majority of people at the airport seemed to be the same way. Everyone, once they get in a crowd, starts acting like a slave would. Whether this made me more comfortable or not, I can’t say, but I can say I made it through the process rather easily.
So, after getting my tickets, and finally finding the correct gate, I talked to my Master. We had what I can only think was the usual conversation. In that situation, what really is the usual conversations that take place? Anyway, there was one fact that made me extremely nervous. After I got on the plane, my phone would no longer work, and I’d be essentially on my own. That was a really nerve inducing fact for me, as I just don’t operate that way. Consider, I’d hadn’t gone more than about four hours without talking to my Master, for weeks. Now, after flying halfway around the world, and having a layover, I wouldn’t be able to communicate with him. That was a tough fact, but I still got on the airplane knowing I’d do whatever necessary. Slaves have an unusual amount of trust, a level many other people would see as stupid, or childish. That level of trust though, made all my actions doable.
That initial flight was the hardest to make for a number of reasons. The airport was hard to navigate, I couldn’t go back, the security was annoying, and many more reason. There was also the emotional ups and downs, ones that go with leaving the only country you’ve known. All that isn’t easy to do, especially when there’s no one to call right away, just because of a layover. Fear is a powerful thing, but it’s even more frightening as a motivator. To overcome those things is something, that at times, only slaves can truly do. The seven hour flight wasn’t the real hardship to overcome, it was every little task in the process. That overall process changes a person, and changes the way a slave thinks of themselves and their abilities. After getting on that flight, I knew, deep down, that everything would be okay….one way or another.
Phaedras Submission 