The world is run by average people

Like Geet of Jab We Met, I can say I never missed a flight. Well, a couple of weeks ago I almost did. With little or no time in hand I had to ask the taxiwala to rush. It’s generally difficult to say anything good about them but this time he deserved thanks. Trivia: Do you know the guy who wears a white dress actually drives his own vehicle and the one in khaki is running it on lease. Do you know these guys intentionally take long breaks because they earn quite a handful and just don't feel like working beyond a point? Lucky!!

Well, I reached the airport on time and headed straight for the check in. Only recently the Mumbai airport donned its new Avaatar. Hats off to the thousand odd who make it work well. Now don't start cribbing about delays. One should always be grateful for these people who manage the day to day affairs. Starting from the guy who checks in my luggage to the one tears a part of my boarding pass, I see hundreds of people working tirelessly to make my journey safe. Aviation is such a big industry these days. They even have a lounge in the airport. Amazing!! Have you wondered who these people are? I don't know how much are they paid, but they make life much simpler. Remove any one of them from there and air travel experience changes.

Why just the airport people, what about the main crew. As my bus slowly neared the plane I had a peak at the pilot. Those guys are rare commodity these days. So many airline companies so few new pilots. You get filthy rich by being one. Exciting job I say. You get paid for playing with big toys. Surely, this pilot wasn't intelligent enough to make a new plane, but is gifted with instincts and trained to handle this toy of his with care. He is often helped by the ATC. Select group of people who mostly work on algorithms to make air travel safe. Starting from sleeping pilots to volcano ash these guys deal with everything.

As I entered the plane, the air hostesses smiled at me and tried hard not to give the “I don't care” look. Her job isn’t that bad. I have heard of so many stories of customer misbehavior and so on. But give me a break; it’s there with all professions. The flight took off with some initial turbulence forcing me to cling on to my hand rest. Not that they can save me, just a normal reaction I guess and all this while my air hostess was having a nice little laugh with her colleagues on a subject I had no clue off. It looked evident they are having a good time at work.

Soon the flight executive announced it was time for refreshments. I was hungry. Someone woke early in the morning to make these sandwiches, someone packed these forks, and someone put it all together. I leave aside the debate related to taste, but seriously speaking volumes are huge. Hospitality industry is another such industry that is growing big. It being reaped by many and many more are trying to cash in.

So, one small 3 hour journey and I meet so many people, at different income level, at different strata in the society. These people were probably not the brightest as kids. I just ask is their life worse than the so called intelligent species. I ask do they have more problems than the perceived well to do ones.

A few days ago I meet a worried mom, not worried that her child scored less but more because of growing rate of suicides among such students. I meet a girl who scores fairly well in her studies, but was worried at the alarming level of news flows on suicides that keep coming to her. "Mere yahan to do tapak gaye".

Is this sane? I feel like being in front of those kids just before the jump off. I feel like telling them that the world is run by average people, their dreams, their desires and their hopes. These people don't create anything. Forget history books, even their neighbors’ don't remember them. Generally they get represented by a number like India has x million middle class people or 20 million died in World War 2. There work is all but mundane. What never gets reported is that there are people who change this to something fulfilling. A taxi driver who helps someone reach his destination early, a support staff at the airport who runs carrying his client's luggage so as to help him catch his flight, a pilot who deftly manages to land a plane without any of its engines working and an air hostess who keeps on assuring an old lady that she will get her a wheelchair once the plane lands in Kolkata. May be scoring more in exams leads to a life with better amenities but it doesn't guarantee a fulfilling one. I wish I could now say the same to many who are on the verge of break down.