A Jet Blue flight attendant captured nationwide attention earlier this week when his anger and frustration got the best of him as he said goodbye to his job via an evacuation slide. His actions touched a nerve and resonated with the collective anger of many folks who wish they had the chutzpah to do something similar. Within 24 hours, this song, The Ballad of Steven Slater, became a You Tube sensation. Beware: The language might offend. There are F bombs galore in this one, the chorus of this song is what Mr. Slater allegedly said on the intercom to the passengers.
I know first hand about anger and how people can or cannot relate to this emotion. After all, I gained national notoriety a few years back as an Angry Mom in a movie featuring my adventures in school food advocacy. Back then, most people were not comfortable with the word “angry”. These days, the anger has gotten closer to the surface as our world seems to spin further and further out of control.
There can be an upside to anger. Anger can be a protective instinct. Speaking from personal experience, my frustration with the junk being served in my kid’s school was the spark that led me on a pathway of nationwide school food advocacy. Who knows what this angry outburst will lead to for Steven Slater. He’ll no doubt get 15 minutes of fame. Perhaps he’ll launch a national conversation on how we could be more compassionate with one another while flying across the country. I wish Mr. Slater all the best in his future endeavors.
