Adventures in travel can often include life lessons.

I would like to think that I would have made a different choice if I were in this same situation….

A crowded plane, with only the middle seats available. A young father with dreads down to the middle of his back and a dirty bandana on his head. Two studs in his bottom lip, a worn out backpack on his back, and a cute little baby in one arm who appears to be about a year old. In his other arm, he holds a sippy cup and a little kids book. He obviously has his hands full, and he also looks a little weary.

He walks up and down the aisle looking for a seat. No one is moving, no one is making eye contact. All that is available are the middle seats. He finally picks a seat. Points to the middle seat, and starts to move in. The lady on the aisle, stand up, rolls her eyes, and waits rather impatiently as the man tries to manipulate his way into the tight space with his baby in his arms.

No one offers to move, no one offers to assist him. He quietly excuses himself and settles in to the middle seat.

I’m watching helplessly from a few rows back, stuck in the middle seat myself. Desperately wishing there was something I could do to help him.

Seriously hoping that given the same situation, I would have moved to the middle seat, and let the dad have the aisle seat.