Behind the shutters

Waiting for the lavatory on the plane to South East Asia, I opened the shutter and looked out the window. The stream of light that poked through suprised me - so many people had their shutters closed that I hadn't realised how bright it was outside (perhaps that was why they had their shutters closed). It was beautiful out there: tufts of clouds meandering across the perfectly blue sea. I could have stared out the window for much longer if I didnt have to stay in line. Flip, Ive been on this flight for 7 hrs already and I never noticed whats outside, I thought. I had been too fascinated with the 994 media channels at my disposal and all the food choices; too occupied with learning mandarin, playing with the lights and scoring free cards and cocktails. But on seeing that incredible view, everything dimmed in comparison. A bit like life, you think? How often are we so strapped in our own little airplane seats - study, work, friends, family, the rat race that we cant see the end of - that we fail to notice the sun shining? Sometimes its good to get out of our seats and lift the shutters to see where we really are. Sometimes what we see isn't so glorious. Haiti has an earthquake and suddenly all the world knows of its existence. Its the poorest country in the western world - but for much of the western world its been behind the shutters until now. I guess thats part of my reason for travelling. I dont know enough about the world out there - mine is terribly small. Whether it be storming or sunny, I want to open the shutters.