Last weekend, I was flying home for a quick visit. I landed an aisle seat with an empty middle seat. As I usually do when flying, I put my earbuds in, turned my music up and closed myself off for the three-hour ride. Two hours in, after finishing the latest issue of ASDA News, I laid it in the middle seat and checked on the time. I noticed my row mate glancing down on the middle seat, once then twice. I could sense his curiosity and hesitation to ask me about what I was reading. Now I’m not one of those passengers to strike up conversations with strangers, but in this case I removed my earbuds and asked if he would like to see the issue. What followed was an hour-long conversation about my experiences in dental school and what ASDA was all about. This inflight experience made me wonder, “What’s the value in striking a conversation with your fellow airline passengers?”
