Community

I got ready for the day by putting 50 sunblock on. I wasn't sure exactly what was going to happen, but I knew it would be sunny and hot. A crowd had already gathered by the time I walked into the old Bloomington-Normal airport and wound my way through the passage out to the waiting area. The passage had been deceptively empty and quiet, that ended as I stepped into the light on the other side. It was crowded enough that I had to really search for a familiar face.

I was looking for the Prairie Aviation Museum people because today we had volunteered to help Image Air meet and unload fourteen Cessna's as they returned from Lincoln, Nebraska with our local athletes. I found them and donned my orange airport security vest and settled down -- to sweat it turned out. The planes were a little behind, which is to to be expected when that many people are leaving Lincoln at one time. Someone said the live tracking on Flight Aware was pretty awsesome to watch as the planes all took to the air, but I didn't get to see that.

Eventually I was called out onto the tarmac and shown the boundaries for anyone not wearing a security vest. If people went over that line, everyone would have to go back inside. As new man on the team, I was one of two people set to guard this boundary. Then word came out that someone was smoking, they could smell it and the last thing we needed was a cigarette with all the jet fuel that was sitting around us. I never did find the culprit, but he, or she, must have caught on that we were serious and stopped smoking.

Then the first plane flew in, a Cessna business jet, followed almost immediately by two more in quick succession and I have to say that my heart beat a little harder as I watched it beginning to happen. Some of our people grabbed dollies and waited for the planes to turn and park. As they turned, I had to urge people back away from the lines, but it became easier as the hot air from their jets surged over us. Then we were all clapping and shouting and welcoming home the happiest bunch of athletes I have ever seen. They marched proudly in with their escorts, who kept everyone away from the the tail jets and I managed to keep the families close until they got to us.

The next few planes came in farther apart, but by the time the sixth ones were pulling to a stop, the first one had refueled and was on its way. There was much waving and cheering for the pilots and their planes as they took back off. Without them this would not be happening. It took about two and a half hours for all the planes to come in and take off and all of our athletes to rejoin their families, but the time flew. At the very end, when we had a very small crowd left and three planes disembarking at once, I was part of the crew that met the plane and helped walk them back in. It was fun to see their faces as they came out, proudly wearing medals and trying to maneuver backpacks through that small door. It was even more fun to hear their shouts of victory and the quick little stories they needed to tell right away. One guy said, "I was crazy, really crazy, but I won!" He was a swimmer it turned out.

Finally everyone was home and our work was done. We grabbed ice cold bottles of water and set off on all our separate ways, but for a while our community was exactly what I like to think all communities can be. Everyone was working together for a common cause and the feeling that pervaded everything was simply joy. It was one of those absolutely perfect days that just don't come around often enough.