Last week was one of those weeks where you run on one cylinder overloaded. I released The Girl of Tokens and Tears. The world of amazon made that stressful and late. My daughter was one week overdue on my first grandchild. And in the hurry to clear my desk and get across country to her my 94 yo fatherinlaw fell and ended up in the hospital requiring husband to run to Northern California while I was trying to get to Indiana to be with our girl.

A lot went on in a short span of time. I'm very good at staying focused and keeping my emotions in a lockbox until a later date, a time better to let them surface. I tried my damnest to get from Santa Barbara to Indy to be with my girl Thursday night, I've never missed a major life moment with any of our kids, but life this time decided I could get there earlier than on the Friday night red eye and I did indeed miss the birth of my first grandchild.

Exhausted I left Santa Barbara at 720pm it's a long trip through the night on a red eye with the layover in Phoenix. Even with everything going on in my life I was still plugging along in good shape when I dropped into my over priced first class seat on US airway.

There are a couple things you should know. I travel a lot I spend a lot of airfare dollars. I travel first class because I have a bum knee and I need the extra leg room. I've had some chronic health problems that made Phoenix terminol not good for me. The walks between gates are long, and my feet and ankles swelled due to my chronic illness.

So this more than middle age first time emotionally depleted grandmother sank into her seat and did what I've done on a hundred flights. I propped up my feet on the bulkhead so they'd stay out the asle as passengers boarded and hopefully the swelling would go down so my ankles wouldn't hurt

As people were boarding the plane out of nowhere shouted a booming voice, "don't put your feet on the bulkhead. This is first classes!" I was shocked by the tone and demeaning manner I was spoken to in and I apologized and complied. I sat there thinking, what's wrong with people? I'm a nice lady. If he had merely asked in a reasonable way I would have complied. What was the need to the cruel and demeaning to a grandmother? I didn't say anything. I am a nice woman, and then for absolutely no reason he said it again, rudely over the intercom. And at that point I started to cry. I quietly, privately cried all the way from Phoenix to Indy. I'd had a hell of a seven days. I'd disappointed my girl. My 94 to father in law was in a hospital and I struggle every day with chronic illness to be everything everyone in my life needs. The rude flight attendant knew nothing about me. Had no call to treat me demeaningly. And I wondered what has happen to people that kindness isn't the first card you play?

Ironically, in the empty seat next to me they relocated a young blind man. They were not very considerate to him either so it is well he was put next to someone who would help him find and indentify his food, treat him with the manner of a person who still believes in kindness, instead of the manner of a rude man who uses a pair wings on his shirt to bully a grandmother.

In my worst moments I am kind. I said nothing to the rude man. Did not file a complaint with US airway and went on my way. I will merely never fly that airline again once I am home again.

As ever I wish you peace. And say hello to my first grandchild baby hugs.