35mm Photography: A diatribe on Air travel

“A Midge of an Airport”
Chattanooga, Tennessee
February 2017

***As with all of my film photos, presented as captured, unedited.***

In this day of a cell phone in every hand, the cacophony of sounds, even at a small airport, is quite something. Setting aside the actual airport-created sounds, I am surrounded by: A businessman giving a hard sell about the performance of his team of actuaries. A grown man playing a violent (loud) video game while his travel companion watches the Family Feud (also loud). The crinkle of wrappers; an unhealthy burrito meal on the go. The clickity click of my keyboard.  And that is just at my gate in the tiny Chattanooga airport.

Flash forward nearly three weeks, and I am currently trying to get home. I have now been sitting in the DFW airport near Dallas for 12 hours. Due to bad weather, my first flight (to Chattanooga) cancelled, the rebooked flight (to Atlanta) delayed. Delayed 10 hours. I could be in a warm bed sleeping right now, but we were teased with the news that our flight would leave at 10:45, then 11:15, and so on until 1:30 when we were told it was cancelled. But oh wait – the flight is not actually cancelled, just delayed until 8am. At least the airline was nice enough to hand out blankets and bottled water. I agree with the fellow traveler who joked “I wish it was a beer”.

I am already sleep deprived from acting as a caregiver for the past couple of weeks, so my body is almost conditioned for a completely sleepless night. Will I feel this mellow about it by the time I arrive home tonight? Or will I be full-on loopy from sleep deprivation? As I proof read what I have written, I believe I’m already halfway there. And why do they keep the airports so darn cold at night anyway?

But it’s all going to be just fine. Because in a few hours we will go pick up our newly adopted pup. I cannot wait to introduce her. And snuggle up with with her for our first nap (today, for certain).

To sum up, I would always ALWAYS rather drive. Wouldn’t you?

Into film photography? See more of mine here, or follow me on instagram.