My recent flight to New York was the usual rush and crush. Flights are just full nowadays. I had boarded and was settling in, waiting for the door to close, when I noticed a elderly woman’s frail hand raise up to catch the attention of the flight attendant coming up the aisle. Though I couldn’t hear her I got the intent of her request. She was sitting in a middle seat 14-E and her husband was seated in a middle seat 14-B across the aisle. She was asking the flight attendant if there was any way that they could be seated together. The flight attendant was unsure how to answer. The flight had few empty seats, but a very quick response came from a young lady in 14-A that she would be happy to trade seats, her window seat for the older lady’s middle seat. The passengers in row 14 on both sides of the aisle began to unbuckle and stand to make the seat changes.

At that moment, the flight attendant looked a row behind me and spotted an empty window seat on the prized exit row. She motioned to the young lady that she could go back to that seat rather than end up in a middle seat. A small reward for a kind gesture.

As the flight attendant pointed toward the exit row seat, a man shouted, “No way! I’ve claimed that seat. It’s my seat. She can’t have it.”

Everyone in the vicinity, especially the flight attendant was too stunned to know what to say. The young lady just said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll just sit here." And she cheerfully took her place in 14-E.

The young man then loudly asked the flight attendant, “When are you going to close the door? I want to move to that seat.” The flight attendant murmured, “Now.”

As the plane began taxiing down the runway, the young man flipped on his phone and began a rather self important conversation with someone, loud enough for all to hear. At last an exasperated off duty flight attendant turned and chastised him, saying, “What about turning off your cell phone don’t you understand?” The reply was an apology dripping with sarcasm as the plane lifted off, the noise drowning out what I’m sure were the choice phrases.

I don’t know who Mr. Full-of-Himself was or what company he represented. I know I wouldn’t do business with him or his company…ever.

The daily grind of the business world is made bearable by the common courtesies that we extend to one another. It’s easy in the business travel environment to focus on your own needs and survival. We all try to create little bubbles of space around us to deal with the pressure, the pace, and the inconveniences. But we can never be so self-absorbed that we miss the opportunities to extend a helping hand, share an act of kindness, or provide a word of encouragement along the way. These are moments of grace and beauty that offset the gray and hurried world in which we travel; our modern day equivalent of a cup of water to one who is thirsty.

Thanks, to the young lady seated in 14-E. You’ve reminded me of the good we can do each day.