On the flight back, somehow the gods of travel were loving me because not only did I get upgraded to first class, but I had the entire row to myself. I got to sit there in silence and read old issues of "Real Simple" magazine, have a meal, drink some white wine and put my feet up. Bliss.
Shortly after we took off, the movie started. It was "Date Night" which I had been wanting to see. I laughed out loud through much of it. Yup, I was the crazy giggling lady on the plane.
But there was one moment that hit home.
Tina Fey's character was talking about marriage. Friends of theirs had recently split up, and she says something along the lines of:
No, I don't fantasize about leaving you. Sometimes I just fantasize about going somewhere alone with air conditioning and sitting there with a Diet Sprite. Sometimes I just fantasize about being alone.And I so got it. Right at that moment.
I love my life. I have a great marriage and three great kids and a great job. But yes, sometimes we all do find ourselves yearning to just be ourselves. Not to be defined by the stuff around us. Not to always be a role. But to just be yourself.
And I had just had that. I was alone. I had air conditioning. I could have had Diet Sprite, but that flavor makes me think of being in the hospital, so I had Diet Cokes, instead.
I was alone.
Tina Fey's character then went on to say:
I wanted to have just one night where I felt new. And now all I want to do is get home.Don't you love it when a comedy movie gives you so much to think about?
Because there it was.
I had my alone time. I was just me. And there were moments that it was blissful to be just me.
But even more blissful was the reminder that I am always me even when I am living all of my roles.
The trip and the movie were both great reminders that you can still be you and not have to just be you.
I was alone.
And now it's good to be home.
