The Rerouted Skytress

I’ve been sitting alone on my Skytress jumpseat a lot more than usual lately with our new COVID-19 protocols. Skytresses and Skyters are no longer sitting next to each other on the jumpseat. On some planes we actually are sitting in passenger seats. Our airline is very conscious about social distancing. I appreciate my company not only looking out for the passenger’s health, but, our health, as well. So, instead of congregating in the galley after our service,….these days, we usually head to our respective jumpseats and social distance from each other. Ah, the jumpseat. Passengers are extremely intrigued about our jumpseats. At times, their curiosity gets the best of them. For, they will blatantly stare at me as I sit on my Skytress jumpseat. Prior to COVID, on certain airplanes, I sat directly across from passengers. Our bodies would be inches away from each other. Yep, it was uncomfortable for everyone…..especially for me. For some reason, however, some passengers don’t mind if they are touching me with their body. I’ve always found this rather odd on their part. Then again, I am irresistible! On aircraft where my jumpseat is behind the passengers, people will completely turn around in their seats and stare at me, as if I am an animal at the zoo. I do try to ignore their stares, as I get myself settled on my Skytress jumpseat. However, most times I will smile back at them. I know they are curious. Especially, the children. A smile and a wave usually gets children out of their staring trance. They usually smile back and wave, too. When children stare back at me, I sometimes wonder if I am looking at a future Skytress or Skyter. I’ve heard too many stories from my fellow crew members to think otherwise. A fair number of them dreamed about becoming Skytresses or Skyters after watching the crew on their flights. On the other hand, occasionally when I’m being stared at, I can’t help myself….I stare right back at the passengers. It doesn’t matter if they are adults or children. I make it as awkward for them, as it is for me. It’s my own personal Skytress entertainment ….whoever stops staring first, wins. I’m proud to report, I’m very victorious with my Skytress jumpseat game!

When I sit on my jumpseat I have multiple things going through my head. After thirty years, I still sit down and repeat my evacuation commands over and over in my head. I also go through a mental review of what I need to do in an emergency. There is always a slight fear I will forget them if I don’t. Especially, if I haven’t been on a particular aircraft in awhile. Fortunately, I’ve never had to scream and shout these commands on a flight. I plan to retire with this lucky streak still intact.

I always say the same little prayer before take off and landing, as I sit strapped in on my jumpseat. Some people may think this is superstitious of me. But, I don’t think saying the prayer is superstitious. My prayer gives me peace. I’ve seen Skytresses and Skyters bless themselves after saying a prayer before take off and landing. It always makes me smile. I make the sign of the cross after my prayers, too. However, I make it in an inconspicuous way. Years ago, I started doing this particular sign of the cross. It gives me comfort….because I do it repeatedly as we take off and land. No one knows about this sign of the cross, but me and God. I like it this way. I feel like it is our special secret. I have another ritual on landing. I don’t know if other Skytresses or Skyters say a prayer for everyone on the plane. But, I do. I say my prayer as we taxi in. Many times I say a special prayer for a passenger or passengers that I have had a more in-depth conversation with on the plane. Passengers tell us many personal things. The good things, as well as, the difficult things. Sometimes words aren’t even necessary. Tears speak volumes.

I do some of my best thinking on my Skytress jumpseat. I am constantly pulling out my paper rotation and jotting down notes. I am forever writing down things I need to do in the lounge, on my layovers and at home. I’ve been known to write the same things down on multiple rotations. There are days I simply run out of time to complete my “to- do” list. Once in a while, I lose my paper rotations with my carefully thought out list. It used to upset me. I would look everywhere on the plane for my piece of paper. I’ve been known to flip my Skytress jumpseat open a hundred times…convinced my paper fell out of my pocket into the cracks of the jumpseat. Sometimes I’d find my paper in my Skytress jumpseat. Mostly when I opened the jumpseat, I’d only find old Biscoff cookie wrappers. These days when I lose my paper I just say, “Oh well”, and I laugh. I usually tell my crew, whoever finds the paper, is now required to do the things I have written down. It makes me happier to think this way. More importantly, it’s less stressful for me. I, also, used to write down positive sayings at the top of my rotations. I would read them every day as I sat on my jumpseat. These days I just THINK positive things as I sit on my jumpseat. Again, its less stressful. I always make a note on my paper rotations to remind me to list for my future jumpseats to go to work and to get home. Yes, I fly for free. Unfortunately, if there isn’t an open passenger seat, I won’t get on the flight. If I have listed for the extra jumpseat, I am almost guaranteed to be on my desired flight to work and back home. I have a designated time I can start listing for my jumpseat. My commuter friends can list for the same jumpseat at the same time, too. It’s a first come, first serve program. I make a note on my rotations so I can list for the jumpseat on time. Ironically, I usually forget to look at this important notation. Well,…I eventually look at the notation. Typically, I look at it 3 hours after I needed to list for my jumpseat! Fortunately, many of my fellow St. Louis commuters friends remember to list for the jumpseat 3 hours and 1 minute after me.

Ron and I loved to talk about sitting on the MD-88 and MD-90 jumpseats that faced the engines. It was common for these engines to spark and glow. We thought it was cool. Every once in a while, the passengers would see the sparks from the engines and their eyes would light up. They didn’t expect to see the powerful engines do that. It always made us laugh. Our MD-88 and MD-90 airplanes were retired this summer. I will miss them. These days, one of my favorite airplanes is the Airbus 321. I love sitting on the jumpseat at the 2 door. Passengers usually have their in-flight monitors on…either watching a movie or regular TV. I sit on my Skytress jumpseat and spy on what they are watching. Usually someone has something interesting on. I remember one day the Captain had us sit on our jumpseats for an extended amount of time. We had to fly around some bad weather. Only one person in front of me was watching a movie. It was a subtitled-foreign movie. I should say, an extremely boring…no plot whatsoever,…subtitled- foreign movie. It was all I could do to not tap the passenger on the shoulder and ask her to turn her dreadful movie off. I was so relieved when the Captain turned the seatbelt sign off and I had to go back to work.

I have many conversations with Ron and my Dad in my heart and in my head when I sit on my jumpseat. I always feel closer to them when I am in the sky. I usually ask them how things are going in Heaven. I always tell them I miss them. When Ron died, my Aunt Cathy said my Dad would be sitting on one airplane wing and Ron would be on the other wing. She said between the two of them they would keep me balanced and safe. I think of this many times when I am looking out my jumpseat window. Many days I’ll sit on my Skytress jumpseat and wonder if Ron and my Dad are sitting on my airplane’s wings. Other times, I wonder if they have opted to hang out on the beautiful clouds I see passing by from my jumpseat window. Either way, these thoughts make me smile.

Last year, on Ron and my anniversary, I was sitting alone on my Skytress jumpseat. I said to Ron it would be nice to get a sign from him on our anniversary. I told him I would love to get a penny from Heaven. I also mentioned I would love to get back to Atlanta early enough to make my earlier flight home. Unfortunately, on our last flight into Atlanta, we were coming in on time, and not extra-early like I had hoped. I resigned to the fact that I would be taking my later flight home to St. Louis. On our final descent, I told my crew I wouldn’t make my earlier flight home. When we got to the gate in Atlanta, I sauntered up to the boarding door after all the passengers had deplaned. To my delight, as I turned to get off the plane, there was a shiny penny sitting in the jetway inches from the airplane door. Boy, did it make me smile. I picked it up and told my Skytress friend Julie I got my penny from Ron in Heaven. She smiled, too. Julie knew Ron. Julie and I walked up the jetway together. She told me she was going to take the employee Shuttle on the B concourse to the employee parking lot. The stairs to the Shuttle were at B-18. This was the gate my earlier flight to St. Louis was going out of. As we walked up to B-18, I could see the agents were still working the earlier St. Louis flight. I asked them if I could still get on. They said yes and printed my boarding card. Julie and I looked at each other and laughed. I couldn’t believe I made my earlier flight home. My, my,….another anniversary gift from Ron! When I got home I went to the Farmer’s Market with my niece Jamie. Ron knew I loved going to the Farmer’s Market. We had a joke that I was going to the Farmer’s Market to….buy a farmer! It was a beautiful day at the Market. While we were there I found another penny from Ron in Heaven. Boy, did I feel Ron’s love on our special day. This week I sat on my Skytress jumpseat and I wondered what Ron was going to do for our anniversary this year. Whatever he sends my way will be filled with love and happiness. This I know for sure. I know I will think and marvel about it all day on Tuesday as I sit on my Skytress jumpseat. I’m sure I’ll have a passenger staring blatantly at me while I reminisce. They can stare at me all they want. My Skytress jumpseat game will be officially on. The last one to stare will once again be the winner. I’m confident I’ll be victorious once again as I sit on my jumpseat. After all, it is one of my favorite Skytress games!