The kindness of strangers: a gentle flight attendant made me feel I wasn't alone
I got the call as I was walking through the doors at Emerald airport in Queensland, about to fly home to Brisbane. My stepdad rang me and said, 'I need to talk to you about something – your sister's died.' I was like, 'What? What do you mean?' I told him I was about to hop on a plane home and that I'd call him when I got on the ground. I hung up, stunned.
I kind of held it together until we had to walk out to the airstrip, when I realised I was walking towards my sister's death. It was horrible. I sat down on the plane, sobbing. One of the flight attendants knelt down next to me and asked if there was anything he could do to help. I said, 'My sister has just died, I don't think anyone can help.' He just held my hand and said, 'We'll get you back to Brisbane.'
He didn't try to tell me everything will be all right, because it clearly wouldn't have been. Just, 'We'll get you back to Brisbane.' Throughout the flight he brought my water, checked in on me and helped me get off the plane quickly when we landed.
One might say that's his job. But it wasn't, actually. It was so above and beyond what he needed to do as cabin crew, especially on a short flight where everyone's just trying to get it over and done with. He was really gentle, kind and sweet. If he hadn't been there I would have just sat there sobbing on my own – certainly the person sitting next to me didn't engage at all, not that I blame them for that.
The flight attendant made me feel as though I wasn't alone on that plane. When I think about my sister now, I think of him.
From making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian.
If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
People left shocked by 'absurd' requirements in resurfaced flight attendant job listing from the 1940s
A vintage flight attendant job listing from the 1940s has shocked people with its 'absurd' requirements. Posted in the Reddit forum 'OldSchoolRidiculous', the advert for Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc, (TWA) firstly required attendants to be aged between 21 to 26. Next on the list were height requirements. Wannabe cabin crew had to be taller than 5'2 and shorter than 5'6 to qualify. And if that sounds outrageous enough, the airline also stipulated that crew must weigh between 100 and 130 pounds. Applicants also needed to have one year of college education or be a registered nurse to be accepted and have good vision. And there's still one more shocking requirement. Cabin crew 'must be single', states the advert. One shocked person comments: 'Were they looking for absurdly small woman or is this one of those people used to be smaller on average sorta things? Pretty gross still, a 100 pound adult woman?!' Another person says: 'My mother was hired as a hostess by TWA despite not having had a year of college or being a registered nurse. She was what the 40's called "personality plus!"' They explain: 'In my mother's case, "personality plus" comprised indiscriminate effervescence that always favoured males. Hostesses were routinely terminated upon marriage, or upon reaching the age of 32. 'TWA even stated bluntly: "If you haven't found anyone by that age, we don't want you either". 'My mother lived on black coffee, skim milk and four packs of cigarettes a day when she was a TWA hostess, as well as afterwards, I recall.' Transcontinental & Western Air was a USA airline that operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001. Shockingly, the person even claims that their mother was 'suspended briefly' after gaining three pounds. Meanwhile, another commenter questions whether the airline was 'specifically looking for a college dropout'. However, another person explains: 'Getting hired as a flight attendant was considered an excellent reason to drop out of college back in the day, for someone who'd prefer to travel and earn a modest salary rather than pay tuition and study.' Another resurfaced United Airlines advert has similar requirements asking wannabe applicants to be 'unmarried', between 5'2 and 5'7 and not weighing anymore than 135 pounds. The advert also states that the 'starting pay is good' and flight attendants will get 'regular raises'. it comes after a flight attendant shared two forms of common passenger behaviour that 'send her over the edge' when she's having a particularly 'bad day.' Dallas-based air hostess Cher Killough, who has worked in the industry for six years, recently took to TikTok to highlight disruptive in-flight habits that often leave her 'clenching' her jaw. Sharing a video to her page, @cherdallas, the cabin crew noted she becomes frustrated when a passenger ignores crucial safety instructions because a previous flight attendant either turned a blind eye or allowed them to do so.
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
More than 728 rejections over proposal to build an Aboriginal group home on the NSW Central Coast
Hundreds of residents in a picturesque suburb on the Central Coast of New South Wales have launched objections to plans for an Aboriginal group home. The $1.6million proposal to Central Coast Council plans to transform what was formerly Lakes Anglican School site at Summerland Point - a Central Coast lakeside hamlet The seven-bedroom property on a 2.63hectare site would become a group home for up to 15 permanent and or transitional residents. An Aboriginal group home is a type of housing that provides culturally safe and affordable accommodation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, often those who need to be away from their home communities to access services or opportunities. These homes are designed to be a "home away from home," offering support and a sense of community for individuals and families. The plan suggests building six relocatable buildings which would provide eight extra bedrooms, as well as repurposing a four-bedroom building into an office space. Under the lodged application, builders would tear down two sheds, four historic classrooms and a basketball court. There have been at least 728 written objections since the development application was published on May 9. The key issue cited by many of the submissions is that the area is not suitable for the home. Reasons included there not being sufficient emergency services, which are at least 20 minutes away, to response to hypothetical incidents. They also said there was not enough public transport and only 'one road in and out' of the suburb. Some also unleashed on what they believed was poor transparency with residents about the planning. 'The lack of communication to neighbours and local residents is also a big red flag by trying to keep it very low key,' one person said. 'This area is full of young families and elderly residents, with both being at risk if the refuge residents do not follow the necessary requirements or standards expected of them.' Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Services, which is operated by the property owner Yerin Aboriginal Health Services, has been contacted for comment. Yerin is understood to have bought the site in July 2023 for $3.9million.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Dr Martyn Mills-Bayne: Parents are feeling anxious about men in childcare centres: This is what needs to be done
Horrific allegations of child sexual abuse in childcare centres across Melbourne have put the role of men in early childhood education back in the spotlight. Coming after other major media reports of child mistreatment in care, many parents are feeling very anxious about the safety of their children. Some may be deeply suspicious of men working so closely with children. That caution is totally justified. But there are many innocent, well-intentioned and caring men working in centres across the country. They're playing a vital role in a sector already plagued by well-documented staff shortages. Driving them out of the workforce would be a mistake for the sector, for parents and for children. Hyper-viligant behaviour Men are still a rarity in childcare centres nationally. The latest workforce data show about 8 per cent of early childhood educators are male, though that statistic could include men who don't work with children directly. We don't know precisely how many early childhood educators are male, but best estimates are somewhere between 2–4 per cent of the total workforce. Given there are so few of them, male educators often report being hyper-vigilant about how they do their jobs. I was once an early childhood teacher myself. Now in my academic research, I've spent almost 20 years mentoring men in the sector, including close to 100 male students coming through initial teacher education programs. They are extremely aware of protecting children and themselves. They talk about trying to make sure they're never alone with children and use distancing strategies to keep themselves safe and in full view of colleagues and parents. If they're changing nappies, they do so in open spaces, where others can see them. If a child is hurt or needs support, they often think twice about the most appropriate way to provide it. The men I hear from feel they are surveilled and monitored more closely than their female colleagues. Male educators must use a heightened degree of caution in their day-to-day caring work due to broad (largely unspoken) suspicions of sexual misconduct. This is an inherent part of being a male early childhood educator. There's been no research done to determine whether men are watched more closely than women, but regardless, most don't begrudge it. They fear ever harming a child, and would rather the extra supervision, perceived or real, to make everyone feel safer. Leaving the sector But early childhood education has an issue with worker attrition. This is especially concerning as pre-school for three-year-olds is rolled out in South Australia, Victoria and the ACT, increasing the demand for staff and pressure on services to meet staff ratios and keep children safe. Against this backdrop, it's crucial we stem the tide of workers leaving the sector, including men. Unfortunately, men are often the first to leave, especially after cases of sexual abuse at other centres. In New Zealand, Peter Ellis was jailed in the 1990s for child sexual abuse in a creche, though his conviction was overturned posthumously in 2022. The high profile case had long lasting negative impacts. Less than 1% of the childcare workforce in the country are men - one of the lowest participation rates in the world. Parental and societal concerns around the risk of abuse have a profound impact on retaining and attracting more male educators in early childhood education. This is also true at the student level. Typically, I see very few men enrol to study early childhood education (about four in a cohort of 150), but only about half that graduate. Many of these potential early childhood teachers drop their studies or move into primary teaching programs after they experience a sense of distrust during their professional placements in childcare. Keeping children safer Children who are abused experience lifelong trauma. Keeping them safe at all times should be the number one priority of educators and society at large. The Melbourne case has left many parents rightly cautious and feeling uncertain about leaving their children in the care of men. We may well see less interest from centres in employing men, as has happened after similar cases in the past. This would build on existing suspicions parents have of male educators. There's no easy answer to this. But there are some things that may make early education safer. The first is to strengthen working with children screening checks, something the Victorian government has already flagged it will do. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan has also announced a statewide register of childcare workers to introduce 'an extra layer of checks and balances'. Another is to ensure no educator, regardless of gender, is ever alone with a child. Though this may be challenging to achieve within tight staffing levels, it's needed to prevent future abuse. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted the need to make sure the physical environment minimises opportunity for abuse to occur. This includes glass walls around toilet and nappy change areas and no blind spots in centres. And finally, for parents to be scared and angry about this is to be human. But it's also important to remember many men are doing the right thing, and male educators in the sector are also angry and concerned about this. Better processes and regulations would help restore confidence in parents that their children are safe in a man's care. But it would also help male educators, who can do their work safe in the knowledge they've passed a robust set of requirements to get there. Dr Martyn Mills-Bayne is a senior lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Australia. He has taught Initial Teacher Education across early childhood and primary programs for over 17 years. Before becoming a university teacher educator, he taught in junior primary schools and preschools across Adelaide's North and North-East suburbs.
