The Air up there,

OK,HERE IT IS FINALLY!!
After a fairly uneventful flight we touched down in Salt Lake City! From the plane, the layout of Utah looks a lot like the old sim city on the super Nintendo. Also just as noteworthy we arrived on Annie's birthday! I arranged to have the stewardess announce and wish Annie a happy birthday. It was pretty cool.Although the stewardess did look at me like i was going to hijack the plane when i first approached her. Also noteworthy was the simple fact that I was the only black person on the entire plane!! About half the people wanted to call the air Marshall,the other half wanted my autograph. That aside,several of the passengers broke out into the happy birthday song, which Annie enjoyed except for the obvious apprehension she had of what i might do to her home town. People i'm harmless ;>). As we are walking through to gate to baggage claim, I hear Annie scream and start to run,embracing a young honest faced youth,later to be named as her younger brother Kent.I
immediately liked the kid. Most likely not sure what to make of me at first, i further instigated matters with dares and claims such as tying a scarf around my head and running through the airport,silent but extremely fast. along with perching myself on the edge of the baggage dispencer (if that's the name..unlikely) and threatening to ride it around. Annie,clearly slighty under pressure,took it pretty well and even told Kent i used to be a member of the Taliban.Which he also took pretty well with a dose of amusement,though he did look questioning at me a few times just to remind himself it wasn't true. Both Kent and Annie assured me her mother would greet her in tears and were not off one millimeter. Looking equally as honest(honestly!!) Annie's mother was exactly as i pictured her.Genuinely ecstatic to see her daughter (and me) she embraced Annie, immediately weeping all the way. though clearly out of my realm of comfort it wasn't disturbing as i thought it was. It felt natural,the way a parent should feel about a child they lost and recovered. Why is it, in the city we find this strange and ridiculous? I've found that openly expressing of emotions is found to be showing a weakness. In newyork any exposed weakness is quickly noticed and preyed upon, to the predators delight and advantage. This woman on the other hand had no such reservations or cares as to who had what judgement or agenda. She was clearly in a place where her love for her child encompassed all. I could pray for no less in my interactions with my own children and those of my community.Note: i was also embraced with said tears,though she apologized for crying and tried to make it brief as possible. Clearly Annie had given her an update.lol.That was not the strange thing.The strange thing was i was not at all creeped out. By the tears nor the hug.It was just someone expressing their honest excitement and enjoyment at seeing me....And i think i liked it.WE pulled of and headed toward Park city.......................