Mistakes Happen

I had an interesting experience this evening. I was flying out from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai on my first international work trip in two years. Thanks to my frequent flier status, I was allowed to board the flight ahead of others. I placed my cabin baggage in the overhead compartment and settled into my Aisle Seat 34H.

Other passengers started streaming in, and after some time, a gentleman came across and requested me to give way so that he could pass through to his seat window seat 34J. I stood up to let him go in, and then after he settled in, we got chatting.

Just then, a couple came over and said that they were allotted seats 34 I and J. The gentleman who was sitting next to me was confused. He mentioned that his ticket shows 34J and that there must be some mistake. Noticing the conversation, an air hostess came over to our row to resolve the issue. She asked the gentleman to show his ticket, and to his chagrin, he realized that he had got his seat number mixed up. He was actually at 43J and not 34J. Apologizing profusely, he vacated his seat for the couple.

As I stood up to let the couple go in, we gave each other a knowing smile that said- Mistakes happen.

Now, just as this couple settled into their seats, another gentleman stood over me, indicating that I was sitting in his allotted seat. Continuing to sit, I suggested that he must be wrong because I was sure my seat no was 34 H. He pulled out his boarding pass, and it showed 34H. It was now my turn to be confused. How could it be that I got my seat wrong? I took out my boarding pass from my bag, and to my embarrassment, my seat no was 29H. I had confused the Boarding Gate number 34 C with seat No 29H and, in an absent-minded way, assumed it was 34H.

It was my turn to apologize and vacate the seat.

We often think we are always right in whatever we do, and we get attached to our convictions. But unwittingly, mistakes happen, and we are blind to them. Sometimes, It requires others to point out to us our mistakes !!.