Just because I’m 22 doesn’t mean, by any stretch, that I’m “hip” or in the know. In fact, I guarantee that at least once during a conversation with my peers, I have to mentally bookmark a word to look up later on Urban Dictionary.
After a while, I thought I’d start to be proactive. I’m going to start learning a new “urban” word or phrase a day via Urban Dictionary’s “Word of the Day.” So everyday, alongside my Webster’s Word of the Day (yes, I get that), I learn a new urban word or phrase. (Stay with me here)
The other day ago I saw this one: The Airport Effect. I included a screen-grab below with the full definition and examples, but really it’s summed up by the first line:
“The temporary increase of self-importance that individuals assign to themselves while waiting at airports.”
You know what I’m talking about! In honesty, some people (like George Clooney in Up in the Air) really ARE doing work and really ARE that important. You see them in their nice suits with their bluetooth on one ear and their laptop ipad or smartphone in hand. And then there are people like me who secretly wish we were that important…SO important that even in the airport, we’re needed. (Okay, I don’t secretly wish that).
I remember after my little trip to Rome I was in the airport on my way to Germany and was standing in the most impossibly long security line (it was literally a maze of ropes that went all the way to the front door) and there were three good looking blokes in front of me. Suits, small carry-on luggage, cell in hand…clearly a business trip. I thought they were all Joe Cool. What would make me that cool? Ah, the airport effect!
Let me tell you, there is NO way to look cool when all of your possessions for a Rome/Germany trip are stuffed in a backpack and you’re in sweats or jeans with a winter coat on. Add hair that says “I’ve been running around Rome since 7am”…it’s just a disaster.
But I do remember one trip where I was attending a conference. I automatically looked nice because I had to hit the ground running when I arrived and there was no way I could waste precious airport and plane time not doing work (I was semi-important back then) so I ended up lugging and then pouring over my law textbooks. Suit. Law books. Bet I looked cool! Bet no one saw me or cared. And you can sure bet I didn’t care.
Then there are just times when you don’t look nice, don’t care to, and don’t wish you were cool or important. You’re just a person. In an airport. Waiting for a plane.
Which brings me full circle to the fact that…yes…the Airport Effect is real sometimes. But it really goes either way and we’re all probably on one side or the other at times.
Have you ever fallen victim to the Airport Effect?
If you actually read that whole pointless post…I will send you a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. You rock.
