Kansas City International Airport. I was standing in a long, LONG line, waiting to board my plane. We were like cattle, clogging up the chute. Nobody was happy.
Namely, because yesterday the whole world underwent a historic global internet outage, which delayed and canceled nearly 3,000 American flights. And on this particular historic day in human civilization, I happened to be flying.
You could see boiling anger and frustration on every face in the airport.
The young man in line ahead of me was with his mother. He was maybe 15. He had Down syndrome. He was shouting hellos to people in line. He was a natural comedian. He was Mister Personality.
And you couldn’t help but smile when the kid landed his miracle gaze on you.
“Hello!” the boy shouted to a businessman in line. “How are you today?!”
The business guy was on the phone, having a heated conversation at the time.
“Uh, I don’t know,” the guy says.
Then the boy hugged the man. “Does this help!?” he said.
The businessman tentatively hugged back. Until, finally, he broke a smile, ended up terminating the phone call, and he said to the boy, midhug, “I guess I’m good, how are you?”
“It’s not ‘good,’” the boy said. “You never say ‘I’m good,’ it’s bad grammar. It’s WELL. You should have told me, you’re doing WELL!”
Everyone laughed at that. All the people in line, in foul moods, some of whom had been living in KCI for the past 20 hours, surviving on vending machine food, actually began chuckling.
The businessman was laughing too, when he said, “Okay, then I am doing WELL, and how are you today?”
“I’m good,” the boy said.
More laughter.
Then the boy addressed another woman in line. She was playing on her phone. She was mid-forties. She looked like she’d just sucked a lemon.
“Hi,” the kid said.
She looked up from her phone.
“Um. Hi?” she replied.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Laura.”
“Can I give you a hug, Laura?”
Laura looked around. “Um. I don’t think so.”
He hugged her anyway. He even closed his eyes. Laura was taken off guard. She put her phone away and committed to the hug.
“You smell good,” the kid said.
“Thanks,” she said.
“What about me?” he said. “Do I smell good too?”
Laura looked around again. “Sure.”
This made her laugh. Which was exactly what the boy was aiming for, of course.
The kid approached several others in line. I watched people’s rancid attitudes fade, one by one. And I watched a few hundred delayed airline passengers start to smile.
When it was time to board the plane, the kid stepped back in line. His comedy routine was over. He was with his mom once again. He was quiet.
“That’s one remarkable boy,” I whispered to his mother.
She smiled.
“He has a gift,” she said. “He can make anyone smile. And I mean ANYONE.”
“He must inherit that gift from you?” I said.
She laughed. “Lord, no. His biological parents left him in a dumpster as a baby, behind a restaurant.” She used a pinky to dab away a tear. “I was just the one who was lucky enough to find him.”
Some folks get all the luck.
7 comments
stephenpe - July 20, 2024 1:02 pm
Love and kindness are everywhere. You just never know where you will find it. Thanks again, Sean.
Hal Lunsford - July 20, 2024 1:51 pm
Sean, wonderful that the gods of the internet fail like the gods of the Mayans and thousands of other religions. Yes, the internet has become our worship place. Only a story like yours about this young man, whom was abandoned as a baby could ever see the world through his eyes and love. Our social media has costed us human species through the internet temple of a formless god. We cannot see the stranger of our own species anymore because we are hypnotized by our formless god that fails us from time to time like yesterday. Thank God for His strange creation of special people that have not lost the ability to love despite the event.
I am writing you after accidentally reading your book, “Sean of the South.” Wow! Love it! The first short story was Berrydale. OMG!!! Yes, once I saw and read that I was transported to my home county; Santa Rosa County, Florida. I was born in Pensacola and grew up with a huge extended family in Milton just a few miles south of Berrydale. Thank you for your inspiring book of short stories. I am trying my hand at writing a historical science fiction book. But I find myself going back ever so often to re-read what I have written weeks or months before. I never thought I would ever write but found a spark of time to write now that I have semi-retired as a 47 year veteran environmentalist. Now because of you I now want to write. Thank you for your inspiration. Enjoy life’s journey to which we have our own path.
Dee Thompson - July 20, 2024 2:07 pm
Well, you did it again. I am in tears. So many babies with Downs are aborted or put up for adoption because parents just don’t realize what a gift they are, how loving they are. Thank you for showing so well the beauty of being around a boy like this. I pray they all find families.
pattymack43 - July 20, 2024 6:31 pm
Both she and her son were blessed by her finding him!! Thanks for today’s writing, Sean. We, your faithful readers, are once, again, blessed by your sharing.
Bill Oliver - July 21, 2024 4:08 am
I see the same joy from my 34 year old niece who has Down’s Syndrome. Glad you were a witness.
Stephen Wynne - July 21, 2024 12:25 pm
This was a beautiful way to begin my Sunday morning. Well done, sir.
Laurie Pallotta - July 22, 2024 6:27 pm
I read this twice and both times brought tears to my eyes. I’m SO thankful you still see all that’s good in our world, and that you share what you see with us.