Airport Stories

One thing I do know for sure, my writing and my travel are directly related. I have written about this before (HERE), but I love writing when I travel. There are so many experiences to write about, and so many people and things to see. If I sit down in an airport I can immediately find dozens of worthy characters and begin writing backstories about them immediately.

One day I hope to write a series of short snippets. Maybe call it Airport Stories or something like that. I always loved that movie with Tom Hanks where he is stuck in limbo in the airport.

He can't leave the airport because his passport is not valid. He can't fly home because his passport is not valid. He's stuck, right there, in the airport. The whole movie is fun to watch. I always think that if I had written that I would have filled it with silly things that I see in the airport. Naturally they did this too in the movie, but there is so much more than they brought up.

Today I got to sit across from three very old folks all discussing the different operations they have had. They sounded like they had been through an active war zone over the courses of their lives with all the surgeries and maladies they brought up, but here they were just happily discussing "shredded" meniscuses and things they'd had to have removed and the horrible doctors they have to deal with.

Those three alone would have made a quick and engaging chapter. Perhaps I should begin taking a tape recorder and record people at the airport. Airport Interviews I will call it. Sounds like a winner to me! It will be filled with colorful characters! Something like Amistad Maupin's Tales of the City. 

Sadly this is not a unique thought. The LA Times did an expose on writing from an airport. What I should have done is gotten this contract! (read the story HERE).