Reunion

This is the sad version of a happy story.

Last week, I was walking through Long Beach Airport when I noticed a guy from a news station standing around with a pretty hefty duty camera. Being the nosy person that I am, I protruded further into this environment to see what kind of hub-bub was brewing. I came to get to listening to a woman who says she was there with her daughter, thirty years of age, who was about to greet her biological father for the very first time. She went on to explain that his flight would be arriving from Oregon shortly, and that they will actually be getting married after being apart for many years. The families that they have been raising separately will be united at last.

A great story, warranting a news station, to be certain. I expressed my congratulations and joy for the woman and mused over the situation in my head for a bit. Having always been a fool, it does not surprise me that I then exited the scene to go wait at my own gate to board my plane... MY OWN DIGITAL SLR IN TOTE. I am working towards a degree in photojournalism. CLEARLY I should have waited for that embrace to ensue! How lovely that would have been to capture photographically! Me, oh, my.

To make a short story long, I sat at my gate for close to an hour. No iPod. No book. Just staring at randos like a damn fool. Bored. Should have been snapping up great shots of two related strangers cryin' hysterically, wrapping their strange arms around each others strange backs. I didn't even realize my mistake until I was actually on the plane. Just a fool. On a plane. Bein' a fool. Forever.

Luckily, me missing out doesn't make it any less meaningful for them. Watch the video and read the story here.