A travelers movement

A big part of me has been writing this blog entry in my head since I first had to start a blog in January. I cannot express how happy it makes me when part of my homework is talking about something I truly love in life. When I first started thinking about Slice of Life, a book that I read came to mind. This book, Step Back from the Baggage Claim is much more than your average read. I know I have been talking about non-profit organizations, but in my mind this fits in perfectly.

Whenever I hear about a non-profit organization or other charities, there is always a certain feeling I get, and I've talked with others that know exactly what I'm talking about. After hearing about the good people are doing, there is an "Ahh Hah" moment, when everything seems to come to terms, and people start to ask "why didn't I think of that?"

These moments are all about what the movement of Step Back from the Baggage Claim possesses. Earlier this semester around Spring Break, I began writing about the book/movement for my school paper because it deals with life at the airport.

The book talks about the things that happen at the airport and how we can take the actions involved with flying and airports and inspire ourselves and others to exemplify these moments in everyday life.

Jason Barger, author of the book and movement spent 7 days in the airport watching and observing people and how they interact. The majority of travelers are usually moving at a very fast pace. From the time they are dropped off, the hassles begin. Stress getting the correct seat assignment, standing in the plethora of lines, and trying to pass through security. There are so many check points through the airport that cause a sense of panic before passengers even set foot on an actual aircraft.

The book talks about how everyone is always in a hurry. For example, when the "ding" sound goes off to signify that passengers can unbuckle their seat belt, individuals automatically stand up and rush to get their bags out of the overhead bins (that almost always shift during flight). All this rush when in the back of their minds, everyone knows that nobody is going anywhere until the plane has reached the gate. 

Finally, the most impactful part of the airport experience, and where the book gets it's title: the baggage claim. People will rush to get their spot at the baggage claim even when the luggage hasn't even reached the final destination. Passengers "box out" others in order to get their bag first. Barger suggests "stepping back" and when you see your bag, simply going up to get it. 

Sounds pretty simple. But it's not just the airport. The movement encourages readers to think about other areas in their lives where a step back moment is needed. Barger and other followers focus on the fact that change starts with little things in life, and that if we start to change the small interactions, then we can soon change our perspective, and our world.