After a lot of long days of hard work and deadlines, I finally got on a plane. I had been looking forward to this moment: a few hours alone in the skies, a chance to relax, watch a movie, and simply be. I didn’t want a lot. All I need is some peace and quiet, a private screen, and maybe a bad action movie to help me forget about the noise of life.
I felt a calm sense of calmness as I sat down and the plane taxied down the runway. But that calm didn’t last long. The young woman in front of me, who looked to be no older than twenty, threw her thick hair over my tray table and her seat. Her hair was so long that it covered the whole screen, making it look like I wasn’t even there.
I didn’t want to make a scene or start the flight off on a bad note, so I leaned closer and politely requested her to move her hair. She grinned, turned around, and did what I asked. I thanked her and hoped that was the end of it.
It wasn’t.
Her hair came back about five minutes later, blocking my view again like a curtain over my tray table. I asked again this time, but with more vigor. She didn’t glance back. She stayed still. She acted like I wasn’t there and didn’t pay attention to me.
Something inside me altered at that moment. I didn’t scream. I didn’t press the call button. I decided to teach her a lesson in respect that she would never forget without uttering a word. It didn’t make a sound, but it worked.
I gently took three pieces of gum out of my bag. I chewed them one by one, slowly and carefully. When the gum was the appropriate consistency, I quietly and carefully inserted small clumps of it into each strand of her hair. I took my time so I wouldn’t bother or pull on her. She didn’t notice it. At first, she didn’t see it.
She moved in her seat after about fifteen minutes. She put her hand back. She felt something. Her body got stiff.
“What…is this?” She gasped and began to pull on her hair, which was a mess. She turned around, her eyes wide and her face full of horror. “What did you do?”
I said quietly, “This is what happens when you’re arrogant,” and I didn’t even pause the movie.
“You’re crazy!” she cried.
I told you, “And you’re rude.” ” You have two choices now: finish this flight with gum in your hair and deal with the consequences, which could involve shaving half of it off. I can help you right now, though. I had a pair of manicure scissors in my bag.
Her face went pale.
I leaned down and stated in a low voice, “If you throw your hair back like that again, I promise you’ll be bald next time.” I’m very exact. “Even when things get tough.”
She stayed quite still the whole flight, with her hair drawn back into a neat, tight bun. She didn’t make a sound, turn, or move. While I waited, I put on my headphones and sat back in my seat. I could finally enjoy my movie and the peace I had worked so hard for.
Was it tiny? Maybe. But I think it’s a good thing to learn.