The Proposal

It has been a while since I've written my Memoirs of a Flight Attendant, but I thought, being it Valentine's Day, and that I had a nice heartwarming memory, it's time to reopen this book for a quick story.

The flight attendant crew on this particular day was all female.  We believed in having fun on the job, because if we had fun, so did the passengers.  Happy passengers = happy flight crew, it goes full circle. 

"If we could have your attention for just a few minutes we'd like to go over the safety features of this aircraft.  Please pretend to be interested..."  Such were our announcements, little cracks here and there to keep people on their toes, and it was a good crowd this flight. 

"Should this flight become a cruise we have provided you with fashionable swimwear.  Life vests are under each seat.  Take them and kick paddle kick paddle your way to shore, where we'll be waiting for you with mai tais in little coconut cups."  Cue the flight attendants in the cabin, pulling out little coconut cups.  The passengers all clapped when we finished with our safety demo.  We could see them loosening up a bit from the hubbub and chaos that is the airport. 

Service went well, when we joked with people from the start, people made a point to joke back at sometime during the flight.  Full circle, see?  After collecting trash I was in the galley cleaning up with the other flight attendants.  A man came up to us then, tall, well dressed, nice smelling..

"Hey!  I loved your announcements.  I wonder if you could help me out with something.  I am flying up with my girlfriend, I am going to meet her family.  I was going to wait until later in the trip but this flight is so much fun I want to ask her to marry me right now.  Can you help?"

Oh my...I don't know..I mean, that does sound like fun..sure, we can come up with something. 

After staring at each other blankly for a few minutes, racking our brains for a great idea, I picked up the PA.  "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are going to have a contest!  I dare say we have the best prize ever for the winner too.  All you need to do is guess how many miles per hour we are currently traveling, whoever comes closest to the actual number wins.  Write down your answer and the flight attendants will walk through to find our winner."

Of course, it didn't matter what anyone wrote down, because it was already fated who would win, no matter how outlandish her guess was.  But still, we had to keep up the farce, so we went up and down the rows, to every passenger, pretending to write down their answers. 

By now the boyfriend had gone back to his seat and was playing along, acting oblivious to our ploy.

"We have a winner!  Congratulations Lisa in 27C!!!  We have an amazing prize for you!"  Now I'm getting a little choked up.  I've never proposed to anyone before, and even though it wasn't me, well, it kinda was.  I was nervous, eyes starting to get a little watery. 

"The man sitting to your right wants to know...Will you marry him?"  The entire plane, which was sold out, erupted into loud applause.  I got chill bumps and at that moment, had to stay hidden in the galley because then for sure my eyes were watery, and I felt silly, because I didn't know why.  I felt better only because one of the other flight attendants was right up there with me with tears in her eyes.  Peeking out in the cabin, we saw Lisa raising her left hand to show the plane she said Yes!

The third flight attendant walked up to the galley, "Oh you two saps!" she grumbled at us, grabbing 2 bottles of wine and bringing it to the happy couple.

After we landed, I said good bye and congratulations to them, both beaming as they got off the plane.  I hadn't actually talked to them since she had said yes.  Lisa was happy as can be, and I was so happy for her that my eyes got teary.  Again.  When did I turn into such a sap?

It was quite an honor to be a part of someone's proposal.  Now I take their story and tell it as one of my own, which maybe isn't right, but man if I can't help it.  That was one of my favorite flights ever.  ♥