Some thought I was crazy to be flying to SF a mere 17 hours post-chemo-- crazy, or perhaps impressive. (I don't think theyre inconsistent!) It turned out to be neither, a rather hassle-free flight, with the worst part some slight tummy upset in the taxi ride to Dulles. (Those taxi rides, even brief ones, can be challenging even to strong GI systems!). I'm on Virgin America, which somewhat surprisingly let me board. "Have your ticket, miss?" "Yes." "Virgin?" "Um . . . yes. "
My seatmate, a quiet woman sitting by the window, while I'm on the aisle, silently prayed before and during takeoff and landing, Buddist prayer. Initially I did not want to invade her peaceful personal bubble, but we eventualy chatted, & she confirmed she is Buddhist, from Myanmar, practicing a very pure branch of Buddhism. She encouraged me to meditate (one of my personal goals, one I have not quite gotten the rythm or hang of yet.) She explained the simplicity of her faith: just 5 rules: don't kill; don't lie; don't steal; don't engage in sexual misconduct; have sex outside of marriage; don't become intoxicated. Wow, only half the number of the 10 Commandments, and 3 out of 5 seem quite easy! I told her that last I could not agree to--she said that occssionally a little bit of wine is acceptable, for example, while one is shoveling snow(might work better for those of you in Chicago or Minnesota! DC, not so much). Despite this disconnect, I was very comforted by her praying, in that if she was taken care of in a flight emergency, I might be covered also, just by my proximity to her. Plus, she seemed so good and pure that I left all of my belongings on the empty middle seat when I went to the restroom.
It reminded me of a flight to Israel on El Al in the Winter of 2003, for the Jerusalem wedding of my oldest niece. If you've ever flown on a similar flight, you may have noticed religious Jews (mostly men), decked in dark garb, replete with prayer shawls, tzitzit, etc, davening (praying while swaying and slightly bowing), most often near the restrooms--apparently the only place to stand uninterupted. My daughter, 8 years old at the time, whispered to me " Are they praying for themselves, or did the airline hire them to pray for everyone?" I thought that was a brilliant idea, and even moreso fueled by innocence. She always was wise beyond her years.
Buddhist seatmate and i exchanged email addresses, and she promised to send me more wise thoughts and insight. I gave her a fruit nut bar, as she seemed to have missed the Virgin food service. She later ordered a Bloody Mary and gave me the 2 oz bottle of Bombay Sapphire, which was so sweet of her! I love flexibility in one's rules.
I will be in the Golden Gate City for a mere 25 hours, but am wondering if I can possibly leave my cancer there-- its a big state--and very progressive--maybe there's some sort of toxic waste dump that would take it? Or what if I claim my cancer needs its own seat, and then it doesn't have an ID or boarding pass? OK, lame ideas, perhaps. But if Tony Bennett can leave his whole heart in San Francisco, why can't I drop off a few retroperitoneal lymph nodes?? It only seems fair.
For now, sending you all good karma, and best wishes for safe travels, wherever your path may take you.
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