Saturday, April 23, 2011

Point of View

An exercise:

Exhausted from a week of traveling, you sink into your seat on the airplane, relieved to be off your feet and excited to be headed home. As passengers continue to board, a parent carrying a writhing toddler appears at the entrance to your row. Checking the seat numbers, they slide in next to you, the parent trying to get the toddler to sit and put his seatbelt on as he screams and wrestles out of arms.

Describe the feelings of the exhausted traveler from their point of view, then the feelings of the parent from their point of view. For fun you could even throw in the toddler's point of view.

And yes, this was inspired by our trip home from Florida this week.

2 comments:

  1. hee hee I totally would, but right now I am just feeling tired. I feel like the parent and the passenger: tired and wishing there was a bed near by.

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  2. Passenger: Please,oh please, let that lady with the snot nosed kid sit somewhere else. I don't think I can handle one more thing right now. Don't make eye contact.
    Oh crap, she stopped and yep, sure enough, the kid is in the middle seat cause that's exactly what I need on this flight, feet kicking and grubby fingers on my leg. The kid will probably start screaming his eyes out before we leave the ground.
    "I wanna go home," says the toddler.
    "I hear ya,kid," thinks the passenger.

    Mother: Please just stop kicking me in the stomach. My arms ache, my back is killing me and oh no, not that scowling man in the designer clothes. Just what I need. Would it kill the guy to at least turn to the window if he must make that disapproving face.
    "I wanna go home," says Johnny.
    "So do I, baby. So do I."
    Then after a wrestling match and embarrassing amount of kicking the small hand grabs onto her fingers for reassurance. Suddenly the tired, aches and embarrassment don't matter because she is his rock and his shelter and that is an awesome feeling.

    Toddler: No. No. No. I want to be home! The fun is over. Not another big hard chair where I have to sit still. Can't kick. Can't touch anything. Oh yeah, they have all the apple juice I want though.
    "I wanna go home," I say and Mom thinks its a good idea too. I'm so glad Mom is here cause the guy next to me has a mean face.

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