Need a good laugh? If I lived in New York City, I'd camp out at LaGuardia Airport and just people watch.

Meet Georgette. She's a friend I met last week in New York City. She's works for American Airlines where you check in your baggage. She certainly must see a variety of emotions float across that counter from flustered travelers. I especially took note of her nifty medal gadget that measures the size of your bag to see if it's too big to qualify as a carry-on. What a genius idea! You just drop your tote in the frame, and if it's too fat or wide, you're going to have to check in "that puppy."

Some folks have the word volcano tattooed on their forehead: impatient, indeed, an eruption waiting to happen. While getting my boarding pass, I noticed this hefty man displaying all kinds of shenanigans in trying to get his oversized bag to drop in that medal measuring device. Frustrated and visibly agitated, he kept stomping on his luggage trying to get it to fit in the compartment. While grunting and groaning, he continued to get louder and louder with each clomp while volcanic steam began to emerge on his face.

"You people at American Airlines are a bunch of morons!" he yelled out. Then finally after almost kicking the leather off his bag, it succumbed and reformed itself into the container.

"See!" he growled at Georgette. "IT FITS," while drops of sweat dripped from his brow.

Then came the funny part. The bag would NOT come out! For the life of him, this two hundred pound wrestler could not get his suitcase to come out of that hole. With eyes wide open, I was afraid the airport officials would usher special instruments onto the crime scene to cut the luggage out of the medal gadget. For a minute, he literally picked the entire frame off the floor with the carry-on comfortably tucked inside and yanked on it with all his might. Like a tick on a dog, that bag gripped the inside cage and would not let go!

When it was my turn to approach the counter with Georgette, all I could say was, "Honey, bless your heart! You must see everything. Where was this guy going?" I inquired.

"Oh," she commented, "He's going to see his aunt who's dying."

I couldn't help but think as I walked off with the disgruntled passenger's fumes poisoning my air space, "Whewwww! I bet his family hopes he misses the plane!"

And the moral of this little airport episode? Watch your behavior in public. You never know when someone might put it in print!

God's Word addresses such moments when we so easily lose our temper:

• The behavior of a wise person is a deep life-giving well.  
  But the behavior of the foolish spews all kinds of unpleasantness. 
    
• Your public behavior is never a private matter.

So keep your emotions under control, sisters. Manage your 'cool' so it doesn't manage you.

Lovin you,

Pam

P.S. See Pam's blog with an actual picture of Georgette standing beside the metal bag container: Georgette and the Carry-On Bag