It was supposed to be just another business trip for the well-dressed executive in seat 5C. Then his seatmate boarded—a plus-sized woman in a sweatshirt and yoga pants. His face immediately twisted in disapproval.
“This must be a mistake,” he told the flight attendant, eyeing his neighbor with disdain. “Can’t you move her elsewhere?” When told the flight was full, he spent the next hour sighing dramatically and making snide remarks whenever she moved.
Other passengers grew uncomfortable watching his behavior. One teenager even started recording the interaction. But the woman took the insults silently, keeping to herself as the businessman smugly adjusted his designer tie.
Then the captain’s voice came over the speaker: “We’re honored to have Dr. Evelyn Carson aboard today—a Nobel laureate whose medical breakthroughs have saved countless lives worldwide.”
The businessman’s jaw dropped as the woman beside him—the one he’d been ridiculing—acknowledged the announcement. A flight attendant brought her a special recognition note from the airline staff.
For the rest of the flight, the formerly arrogant executive didn’t say another word. Sometimes it takes being seated next to greatness to realize how small we’ve been acting.
