Flying for the first time can be daunting, especially when you’re a senior citizen. Not only are you dealing with new experiences, but also have to put up with young people trying to tell you what to do. That’s besides the fact that for the first time in your life you going to be thousands of feet in the air.

This can result in massive stress and be time-consuming, two things that are no good for the elderly. Here we discover a story about an elderly woman’s first experience on a plane, how she was almost thrown out of business, and what happened when it was revealed who she is.

Suffering A Major Loss

Mrs. Dorothy Wilson was a simple person with a humble background. She had also had some pretty tough experiences during her life and had to make some pretty harsh decisions during it too. One of those was sending he young son away while she had to look after her demented mother.

She looked after her mother for a few years until her eventual death, but when the time came to claim her son, Kevin, she discovered that he had been adopted while she was looking after her mother. This broke her, and she spent the rest of her life trying to find him.

No Resources To Find Him

Finding him wasn’t easy. There is no exact reason why, but because of the poverty she was living in due to multiple family tragedies, ad the choice to look after he mother instead of pursuing opportunities like the rest of her siblings, she had neither the resources nor the money for an extensive search, and what little she could do came to nothing.

She also had no husband, since he died in a house fire started by her mentally unstable brother. This is one of the abovementioned tragedies and one which shaped her life. It went without saying tath she was better off moving on with her life.

But There Was A Lifeline

As time passed, Mrs. Wilson built a life for herself. Wealth may have eluded her, but she had lots of comforts and had saved a comfy little nest egg. She had also never given up on finding Kevin, and as modern resources came about, she made use of them to find him.

One of these gave her a positive hit. This was all thanks to a volunteer organization that specializes in bringing together families who have been separated due to unforeseen circumstances. She found him, and arranged for a visit, to do this she had to do something daunting though.

Getting On An Airplane For The First Time

Mrs. Wilson had to fly to get to meet her long-lost son. This was around about her 89th birthday, and she felt that, despite the lost years, at least she knew that she had spent some more time with her son before she eventually passed on.

But she had trepidation, mostly because she'd lived in the province for a large part of her life, and had never even been to the airport let alone on a plane. She was about to embark on a new adventure to meet her long-lost son and fly for the first time in her life.

An Overwhelming Experience

Arriving at the airport was more daunting than she could ever have imagined. The size of the place was already overwhelming, and then add to it the procedures she’d have to follow to get onto the plane, and her nerves were understandable.  She was also in awe of the number of people she was seeing.

All of these emotions come together to make her a wreck, but thankfully she was being aided by some of the young and competent airport staff. One of the most surprising things the staff noticed about her things about her though is that she bought a business class ticket.

Why Buy A Business Class Ticket

What would make a senior citizen buy a Business class ticket though? Well, she said her son would be on the flight she had booked and learned that she would be closer to him by booking this caliber of ticket. Her tickets may not have costed as much as many thought though.

Airlines used to offer a 10% discount on flights for senior citizens. This practice has been eradicated though, and very few flight companies still do it. That doesn’t mean that they don’t still exist, and perhaps Mrs. Wilson found this and exploited the opportunity. She may be old, but she was still smart.

Everything Was New To Her

The airport was both foreign and exciting to her, but it also proved quite challenging. This was none more evident than when she had to go through the metal detector and it went off. The alarms startled her since she had no clue what a metal detector was or how it worked.

If she did know about it, she probably wouldn’t have hidden the keys to her house in her shoes. She did this to ensure that she didn’t lose or misplace it while she was away. There are of course better ways of securing things, but Mrs. Wilson was old school.

Dealing With Security

As with any incident where the metal detector was triggered, security has to pull the person aside to conduct searches. Of course, small-town Mrs. Wilson knew none of these procedures, since she has never experienced a metal detector. The security guards were good with her though.

They explained how the machine worked to her and why it was important to check all metal objects before boarding a plane. Of course, this was pretty serious since the metal detector's role is to detect any potential weapons on passengers. It took a few trips through the thing though, before they uncovered the key in her shoe.

Not Fitting In

When security was done with her, they guided her toward the business class check-in area. While she made sure that she was wearing her best and looking sharp, she could not compare to the other people in this area. She was even attracting a few stares because of what she looked like.

She tried to ignore the looks but that proved difficult since she had never been under so much scrutiny. It was weighing heavy on her, but she still had some things to do which could distract hr from the attention she was getting. She decided to collect her ticket.

No Escaping The Scrutiny

Being the simple person she is, Mrs.Wilson had no way of downloading or printing her ticket. So she had to do it old school and collect it from the airline at the airport. This brought even more scrutiny to her from the attendant assisting her, making her feel uncomfortable all over again.

The person helping her even had reservations, perhaps thinking that the elderly lady was demented. But the system doesn’t lie, and it showed that Mrs. Dorothy Wilson had indeed purchased a business class ticket. The desk clerk hesitantly gave it to her, a little perplexed by the fact that she bought such a high-class seat.

Finding Her Way To The Plane

That wasn’t the end of Mrs. Wilson’s challenges either. Having never been to the airport she has no idea where it is. So after getting her ticket her next mission was to find out where she needs to check-in. Because of people scrutinizing her she didn’t want to ask anyone for help.

Instead, she followed people around hoping they would end up where she needed to be. But this came to nothing, and she was close to tears. Then, someone threw her a lifeline, when an airport employee approached her and asked her if everything is alright. She was so relieved.

Becoming Her Escort

The young woman became Mrs. Wilson’s unofficial escort. She took her to the checkout counter and escorted her to the department area where he informed the gatekeeper about her situation to ensure she didn’t get lost anymore. This is more than anyone else had done for her since she had arrived at the airport.

But the gatekeeper appeared to have the same attitude the rest of the airport staff was having and checked her boarding pass with a snide attitude and condescending smile. It was going to be a long flight for Mrs. Wilson, and the day was still going to become a lot more eventful.

A Nice Young Man

While she was waiting for the call to board the plane Mrs.Wislon was both nervous and anxious. She waited, fidgeting and looking awkward, which was clearly visible to the people around her because a young man approached her and asked her if she was okay and if he can help her.

He surmised by her nervous posture that she was getting on a plane for the first time and offered to take her through boarding and get her to her seat. Although he was a nice young fellow, Mrs. Wilson couldn’t help but notice the enviable way he looked at her business class ticket.

Finally On Board

All of Mrs. Wilson’s anxiety disappeared the moment she stepped inside the plane. The young man escorted her onto the plane and because they made their way through business class, she found her seat before he found him and thanked him, although he was quite icy when he left her there.

After taking her seat she wondered if the young man didn’t become envious because she was taking a seat in the expensive seats. She has been attracting strange stares from other passengers all day, perhaps her escort wished that he could afford to travel in business class. It going to be quite the experience for her though.

A Rude Young Man

While Mrs. Wilson found her seat, much to her relief, she couldn’t help but notice that the young man sitting next to her looked a little annoyed. In fact, not long after she found her seat he put down his magazine on it and asked the flight attendant why he should sit next to an old woman when he is in business class.

The flight attendant assured him that Mrs. Wilson had the appropriate ticket for her seat and belonged there. His name was Mr. Thompson, and despite the sound reasoning of the attendant, he was not in the mood for budging on his claim and appeared to get even more upset.

Doubling Down His Disdain

Mr. Thompson was not in the mood for having someone next to him, and let the attendant know it. He claimed that he didn’t pay the extra money to have someone sitting next to him. He even remonstrated that he should have bought an economy class ticket instead.

He was becoming pretty volatile and this was upsetting not just Mrs. Wilson, but other business class passengers as well. Clearly, there were some other criteria beyond just affordability, and this was beginning to weigh heavily on the senior citizen’s morale. But how much of Mr. Thompson’s whinging was the flight attendant willing to take?

What Is The Difference Between Business And Economy?

Mr. Thompson mentioned to the flight attendant that he should have booked an economy class ticket. But what is the difference between the two? Well, one major difference is the size of the seats. Business class seats are considerably bigger, offering more comfort and personal space.

There is also a more extensive food menu and free alcoholic beverages. But the real luxury experience is first class. This offers a more luxurious seating option with a chair that can recline into a bed and even be enclosed. Some first-class options even have onboard showers and, of course, unlimited alcoholic beverages and an extensive menu.

Breaking Mrs. Wilson

All of this commotion was truly getting to the senior citizen. What ws worse was that more and more people were getting involved in the arguments, and it was a mixed bag of opinions. For one, there were many who actually agreed with Mr. Thompson, and flet that Mrs.Wilson shouldn’t be in business class.

There were in turn those who were fair and believed that she deserved to be there if she could afford it. Hearing the fracas, the young man who helped her to her seat came back to business, and also jumped to her defense, it turns out she was causing quite a stir in the cabin.

A Strong Defense

The young man actually came strongly to Mrs. Wilson’s defense. He must have really developed a bond with her while assisting her because he was coming up for her big time. He called out Mr. Thompson for his rudeness telling him that she is much older than him and that he was acting like a low life.

This appeared to strike a nerve with the rude man, who doubled back and acknowledged that he had crossed a line. He also calmed down, and it made everyone else in business calm down as well. But Mrs. Wilson was still upset and was about to do something brash.

Giving Up Her Seat

Despite the defense put up by the young man and Mr. Thompson softening up, Mrs. Wilson still felt a little hard done by, and just wanted the entire fight to be over. So, instead of fighting for the seat, she had paid for, she opted to move to economy and save everyone any further arguments.

But this just seemed t soften everyone up even further, and eventually, Mr. Thompson removed his magazine and implored her to keep her seat since she paid to have it. Mrs. Wilson and the flight attendant were both relieved that the fighting was over and everyone could go on with their in-flight activities.

Finally, She Took Her Place In Business Class

The kind words by Mr. Thompson and the encouraging defense by her young escort appeared to set Mrs.Wilson at ease. She relaxed into her seat, but while doing so an old photo fell out of her bag. Mr. Thompson, seated adjacent to her, picked up the photo and caught a glimpse of what was on it.

He was taken in by how the photo looked so fresh and crisp despite how old it was, and he intimated to her that it must be special to her. She acknowledged while gingerly taking the photo back, and explained that the person in the photo was her son, Kevin.

More People Taking Interest

Her story piqued the interest of the rest of the passengers, and they all leaned a little closer to her to hear it. She explained about her simple background, how her father died during the war and how she had to look after her ill mother and mentally unstable brother.

This really captured the passengers, who couldn’t help but focus their attention on her. But what really captured then was the story about how she had lost the boy in the picture. People were pretty judgemental when they heard she put him in an orphanage, but changed their minds as the story developed.

So What Actually Happened To Her Boy?

After her husband, a shepherd, died in the house fire started by her brother, Mrs. Wilson was forced to sell her husband’s animals and buy a small shack for her and her mother to live in. At that time she had discovered that she was pregnant, while her mother fell deeper and deeper into depression.

Her mother often attacked and berated her for the situation they were in, blaming her for the poverty they were living in. All of this while Dorothy was pregnant with her son and trying hard to better their situation. Things weren’t going to get better anytime soon either.

Things Started Escalating

It went beyond simple accusations, and her mother even attacked her with a knife. But she survived these attacks, and eventually had her baby. But this didn’t stop the attacks and Dorothy lived in constant fear not just for herself, but also for her newborn baby.

It was a difficult situation and made even more so by the tiny home they lived in, making it difficult to stay out of one another’s way. She needed to do something to at least alleviate her stress, and she leaned more and more towards a tough decision. It was this decision that led to an old woman taking her first flight.

So She Made A Tough Call

She decided to make a judgment call based on their poverty, and the fact that her mother could become dangerous at any time. She put her son into an orphanage, where he would be both safe and well looked after. It wasn’t easy for her by any means, but she intended to take him back once she was on her feet again.

After a few years her mother passed away, Dorothy decided to get her son, especially now that she had one less person to look after and the danger her mother posed was gone. However, she was disappointed to discover that her son had been adopted by another family.

Why Couldn’t She See Her Child Though?

One of the more pertinent questions is why she couldn’t go find her son after she was told that her he was adopted? Surely the orphanage had contact details for the foster family. Then again, this was during the mid-20th century, there were hardly any landlines let alone cellphones, and people often moved around for better opportunities, leaiving no details to track them down.

Of course, even mothers who give their children up for adoption are still allowed to see their children. This is especially true if it is open adoption, where the birth parents and foster parents maintain a connection after the process is complete.

A Changing Perspective

This story changed how people saw Mrs. Wilson and made them realize how wrong some of them were to want her kicked out of business class. But are there still any questions as to why she purchased this kind of ticket? If she was there to be close to her son, was he somewhere in that area with her?

Well, she wasn’t lying when she said that she would be closer to her son by flying in the expensive seats. But she also wasn’t wholly honest. That’s because her boy wasn’t in one of the seats. However, booking that seat put Mrs. Wilson closer to the front of the plane.

So Guess Who Was Flying The Plane

Through all of her struggles at the airport and the rudeness of several members of staff and Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Wilson conducted herself with humility. She was even willing to give up her business class seat because so many people were upset about someone of her stature being in the same class as them.

In the end, she could easily have told them off with a simple line. She chose not to though because she didn’t want to throw in their faces that she is the mother of the man flying the plane they were in. That’s right, the captain of the flight was her beloved Kevin.

A Message From The Captain

After Mrs. Wilson’s story, the flight attendant disappeared to the front of the plane. Not long after the intercom beeped and the captain sent a message to his crew and passengers. Instead of the usual message captains commonly give at the end of a flight this one was different.

Instead, he spoke about life and humility, and the fact that because life was challenging for everyone, it doesn’t mean some people are better than others. Clearly informed about the way his mother was treated, the captain was subtly laying into those who had given his mother a hard time, he clearly wasn’t taking any prisoners.

Despite It All, He Still Loves His Mother

It could have been easy for Kevin to feel extreme hatred toward his mother for giving him up. He wasn’t raised by her after all, and most of the success he has achieved was as a result of his foster parents. But in the end, he was practicing what he was preaching to his passengers, understanding, and most importantly, forgiveness.

Mrs. Wilson believed that she could die in peace now, knowing that she had at least found the baby she lost all those years ago. Thankfully for her, he was understanding of her reasoning for putting him in an orphanage, and to her, he loves her, forgave her a long time ago, and knows she is a good person.