This morning, I boarded a 6:45 a.m. flight to San Francisco. By row 14C, I had already witnessed a masterclass in human protest — and how ridiculous it can be when we cling to things that simply don’t matter.
A young woman was calmly settled in 14C when another passenger, mid-sixties with husband in tow, declared: “You’re in my seat.” Both pulled up their phones. Both showed the same seat assignment. The flight attendants tried to smooth it over, pointing to two perfectly open seats just one row back. Wide open. Empty.
But reason didn’t matter. The older woman bristled. She dug in. She summoned one attendant, then another, then a third — holding up boarding for the entire plane. Her protest spread across the cabin like a popped pus pocket — raw, oozing, infectious, and absurd in its intensity. She clung to 14C as if her very life depended on it.
At one point, I half expected her to fling her Louis Vuitton purse into the isle, scattering its contents — lipstick, receipts, perfume, loose change — as a theatrical symbol of her crusade. Meanwhile, her husband shrank into the window seat, silent, unwilling to interfere. The young woman, sheepishly not wanting to create more drama, gave up and moved back. The battle for 14C was won, but the cost was the mood of an entire plane.
That’s when the energy shifted. An elderly Indian grandmother across the aisle tapped me with a twinkling smile and said, “It is so lovely to see you writing in your book. It makes me happy.” A man stooped to pick up a dropped toy for a child. Later, a man with a ponch belly and a bent spine moved down the aisle helping people with their luggage.
Each small act was like handing out Band-Aids and lollipops. The oozing pus pocket receded, and the cabin softened.
How often do we humans lock our jaws on a “14C”? We dig in, fight, and protest for something that simply doesn’t matter — even when easier, better options are right behind us. Our behavior is contagious. It can nourish and uplift, or it can rot and infect like rancid food.
So the next time you’re tempted to make your 14C a hill to die on, pause and ask:
👉 Am I popping my pus pocket and spreading infection?
👉 Or am I passing out Band-Aids and lollipops?
(P.S. If this message struck a chord, take a quiet moment today to notice your own “14C.” What small act could you do to shift the energy around you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Simply hit reply and share.)
In this short video, I share the story of Pus Pockets to Lollipops and what it taught me about how quickly negativity spreads, and how kindness can heal it.
