Since I've been getting on an airplane most every weekend for the past 6 months or so, and I've become keenly aware of the "Travel Zombie" phenomenon.
The Zombie phenomenon comes from the fact that it is work to always be up and positive and smiling. Around our family and friends, we want to project the good life. Even if we are not having to project the good life, it still takes work to always have an appearance of positive and happy, even if we are.
When folks are on travel, they are boarding planes, and wandering through airports with the notion that they will not see anyone they know. And that's typically the case. In the Atlanta, or Memphis or Detroit airports, I rarely see anyone I know. Accordingly, since you are not being seen by people you know, you turn off the smile projector, and the talk machine, and zone out. The face becomes expressionless like that of a Zombie - you become the walking dead!
I'd have to say that for frequent travelers, it takes work to not be a Travel Zombie.
As I've been wondering through the airports, and sitting at gates, I've noted the "Zombie look", is very common. Unless a traveler is traveling with people they know, you see expressionless faces and zombie stares like "nobody is home".
Certainly, many times, I am a Traveling Zombie. I get tired of moving my body between Huntsville and Columbus, and so when I get to the airport, I turn off the switch, and yes, I become a Traveling Zombie.
However, recently, I've had this thought. How about if all travelers were aware of this phenomenon and decided to leave the light switch on? Instead of sitting on the plane, not wanting to talk or be bothered, everyone would become aware of the folks beside them, and aware of all the hundreds of people they pass in the halls of Concourse B? What what that look like?
The Atlanta airport would probably turn into a dynamic market and interaction place where new friends were made, were new businesses were launched, where people helped other people.
Could that happen?
I'm going to experiment a bit, with leaving my light switch on for the next several weeks, just to see what happens. Hopefully I won't get punched!
Do you zone out when you travel too?
The Zombie phenomenon comes from the fact that it is work to always be up and positive and smiling. Around our family and friends, we want to project the good life. Even if we are not having to project the good life, it still takes work to always have an appearance of positive and happy, even if we are.
When folks are on travel, they are boarding planes, and wandering through airports with the notion that they will not see anyone they know. And that's typically the case. In the Atlanta, or Memphis or Detroit airports, I rarely see anyone I know. Accordingly, since you are not being seen by people you know, you turn off the smile projector, and the talk machine, and zone out. The face becomes expressionless like that of a Zombie - you become the walking dead!
I'd have to say that for frequent travelers, it takes work to not be a Travel Zombie.
As I've been wondering through the airports, and sitting at gates, I've noted the "Zombie look", is very common. Unless a traveler is traveling with people they know, you see expressionless faces and zombie stares like "nobody is home".
Certainly, many times, I am a Traveling Zombie. I get tired of moving my body between Huntsville and Columbus, and so when I get to the airport, I turn off the switch, and yes, I become a Traveling Zombie.
However, recently, I've had this thought. How about if all travelers were aware of this phenomenon and decided to leave the light switch on? Instead of sitting on the plane, not wanting to talk or be bothered, everyone would become aware of the folks beside them, and aware of all the hundreds of people they pass in the halls of Concourse B? What what that look like?
The Atlanta airport would probably turn into a dynamic market and interaction place where new friends were made, were new businesses were launched, where people helped other people.
Could that happen?
I'm going to experiment a bit, with leaving my light switch on for the next several weeks, just to see what happens. Hopefully I won't get punched!
Do you zone out when you travel too?
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