It was the summer of 2011. My six-hour evening flight was uneventful, allowing me to watch “Bridesmaids” and make last-minute changes to my presentations. The plane hit the runway, and I held onto my seat, bracing myself as the pressure ran through the cabin. Frantic clicks of seat belts releasing cracked through the cabin as we gathered our belongings, bracing to surge forward the instant the doors opened. My seatmate—silent the entire flight—finally turned to me and said, low and steady:“Take off your rings. They’ll cut your fingers to get them.” With that, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and disappeared into the line of exiting passengers. I began to regret not doing research on my destination.
International travel was one of the best perks of the job. I didn’t mind the fact that IBM stopped business class travel, so we had to fly in economy. At the time, I had not flown business, so I did not know what I was missing. I was grateful for the opportunity to travel the world to places most people only visit in their dreams. I was excited to experience the culture, food, and people of Caracas, Venezuela.
As soon as I walked off the plane, I felt the difference. The airport was filled with men in military uniforms armed with powerful weapons. We have police officers in American airports, but they provide a sense of security; this was different. Immediately, my senses were heightened to look for danger. If this country were safe, why would it need the military every 20 yards?
In the days that followed, warnings piled up. I was abruptly directed to put my camera away—if someone spotted it through the car window, they might reach in to grab it, hand attached or not. Even a simple walk around the block was unsettling; the neighborhood bakery had an armed guard at the door. The people I met were warm and kind, but beneath it all was a constant edge of danger. By the time I boarded the flight home, I was grateful to trade that unease for the quiet safety of New Jersey.
Watching the theatrical antics in DC today, I see the deliberate injection of fear into our country. Those who build themselves up by tearing others down mistake fear for respect and control for worth — but the act is always temporary, and the fall is inevitable.
foursetsofeyes 