going like the clappers

Have you ever been on a flight where some of the passengers clap when the plane lands?

Are they really applauding the pilot for doing his job? If so, isn’t this somewhat condescending?

This got me thinking. Why do we (I was not one of those clapping) applaud the pilot but not others?  Is it an issue with me that I did not applaud? Or is it that the applause was not really for the pilot but for the fact that we did not die on landing or that nothing has got in the way of our plans, our holiday, our time, us?

Is it me? Should I be applauding my dentist when he has finished my check up? What about my hairdresser when she has shown me the back of my head in the mirror? 

Should we line the streets and applaud the refuse collectors as they come up the road? How about the check-out assistant at the supermarket when we have packed away our shopping? What about the midwife when our baby is born or the bus driver when we get to our stop?

Is the applause really for the pilot? 

I don’t think so.  

The applause is purely for those who are applauding. They are giving themselves a “round of applause” because they have survived the flight and can now get on with doing whatever they like.

It reminds me of the nursery rhythm “if you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.” 

I’m not trying to be a killjoy or Mr Misery but if the passengers really wanted to thank the pilot would they not wait until he has completed the post-flight checks and shake his hand as he walks through the terminal? Or maybe write to the airline and express their gratitude for the pilot – who’s name they can’t actually remember. What about a TripAdvisor review for flights….”Captain Rogers flew the plane extremely well and landed on time”.  

The definition of “applause” is the “approval or praise expressed by clapping”

Is the pilot being approved and praised or are those passengers effectively approving and praising themselves?  “Well done we have got to Spain” ”I approve of our decision to go to Turkey and nothing has impacted our plans so far”

Applause or clapping is a response to something, usually something that we see or hear or feel. It is for someone else. It is a way of praising, thanking and being appreciative for what they have done – for us.

The danger is that we turn this on ourselves.  This is self-focussed praise and approval. Give yourselves another round of applause 

I did not applaud the pilot but I did say “thank you” to the flight attendants as I left the plane.  Had the pilot been stood there as well I would have thanked him also. 

What happened once the applause had died down?  The passengers unclipped their seatbelts – even though the seat belt sign was still on. They were up on their feet and opening the overhead lockers to get to their bags. Their phones were switched from airplane mode and they were ready to be off and to rush through the airport so that they can get to their holiday destination to be able to….relax?

They were in a rush to get on with their lives. They were “going like the clappers”

I did wonder what would happen if there was a delay with the plane doors being opened or if there was a mix up with the gates. Would the passengers break into a slow hand clap?!

Life is a journey, it is not a race. 

Let’s not go “like the clappers” but instead slow down and really show our appreciation for those around us. Stop to say thank you to the refuse collectors, speak to the check-out assistant at the supermarket and use their name (the name badge usually gives this away!) Hug the midwife, shake hands with your dentist (once the gloves have been taken off), say thanks to the bus driver and talk to your hairdresser……about your holiday.

The African proverb tells us “if you want to go fast gone alone, if you want to go far go together”

Let’s go far