Hot, bothered, tired and hassled is how I found my way to seat 5E on a flight from Belfast to London one evening at the start of last week. I’d had a 5am start and was impatient to bring the day to a close. Dinner had been an airport Thai green chicken wrap consisting mainly of spring onions, and I had mad the mistake of tying my hair back so tight that I inflicted a raging headache upon myself. 5E is a middle seat, and the person assigned to the aisle was already in situ. To everyone’s annoyance (or maybe just mine) there was a round of human Tetris involving him, I, and the queue behind, before I planted my bum. Only then did I look up and take notice of this who he was.
He was a Northern Irish MP. And not only an MP, but the leader of a major political party in NI. The party that leans furthest away from my own political standpoint. The party that has been marred by controversy this year. The party famous for it’s religious and societal conservatism. The party that alternates between making me angry for parts of my homeland’s past, and worry for it’s future. The party that makes me cringe for how it represents my home still to be.
I looked at him and thought “Jesus Bloody Christ”.
Now, I never dreamt that this man would make small talk with a civilian like me. I never dreamt that he might let the occasional curse word slip our albeit a PG one. I never dreamt that this man’s default personality would be, well, a wee bit cheeky. I certainly never dreamt that I would end up falling into comfortable conversation with him, with an easy flow of questions. Not prying, but things I was curious about - How did he get into politics? Does he always get accosted by people? Is Westminster wild? What does he hate and love about it? Has he ever been to <my hometown, a notorious stronghold from the opposite side>?
And I certainly never thought that he would offer considered, generous and candid answers. And I never thought he’d be curious about my life, and how I came to be on a Monday evening flight to London.
His notoriously prickly colleague had been seated in the posh seats just in front of us. I waved them off as we disembarked, and made my way to the Piccadilly Line smiling to myself. The smile was one of pleasant surprise that he wasn’t what I had expected. I was reminded of all the prejudices applied to me, how I’ve felt their sharp edges, and been pissed right off that I had been reduced to bullet points that the prejudiced person of the day boxed me into. Dehumanised.
And I was reminded to not bring that to the people I meet.
I’ll never agree with this man’s politics, and would debate, tooth and nail to the bitter end on our many points of difference if we were in a political arena. But we weren’t in a political arena. We were just two people on a flight, on a Monday night, making our way to the same city, wondering if space gins might make the situation better, or worse.
It’s nice when that happens.
Happy Sunday you lovely lot.
Big love
Una
x
Loved this Una - thanks for sharing!