The "Winging It" Issue

After hassling with lines at LAX or creeping through those weird tubes at CDG, it’s nice to come home to CAE. 

Columbia Metropolitan Airport,
how do I love thee?

I love your (only)
three baggage carousels
and the way my luggage
gets there

before I do. 

I love your one (and only) concourse
that makes it easy to
find my gate. 

I love the burgers at your grill,
the free wi-fi,
the huge servings of Edy’s ice cream
that are practically
a bargain.
(Not so crazy about $12-a-day parking, but hey it’s an airport, not nirvana.) 

Often on flights home, I’ll wind up sitting beside a recruit headed to Fort Jackson.  The army trains half its soldiers, 70% of its women, here.  These incoming recruits are always polite, already a tad homesick, awfully young. 

You know what’s waiting for them at the bottom of the escalator in baggage claim. 

I glance over my shoulder at these seatmates (who are already saluting and yes sir-ing) while I watch for my suitcase.  I hope they survive basic.  I hope they don’t wind up in Iraq.  If they do, I hope they make it back safe.  And I wonder if they can ever think of flying into CAE with the same affection I do.

~Jenny

jenny.maxwell@skirt.com