Strangers on a Plane

Frequent business flyers know the anticipation (and dread) of finding out who you’re going to be seated next to (with no escape)…someone who can talk the leg off of a chair, or someone who quietly reads and never says a word. With those who do strike up a conversation, invariably, the talk turns to “Why are you flying today?” and “What do you do for a living?”

On a flight from Atlanta to Nashville, I found myself seated next to a young lady who was in the mood to talk. She’d mentioned flights she’d taken to Afghanistan and Iraq, and not taking those for typical tourist destinations, I discovered that she was an Army medic.

When she asked what I do, I figured she could identify and relate to the many medical supplies that are packaged in plastic bags. Yes, she could not only relate, but proceeded to inform me of yet another use for our plastic!

She said that plastic bags were often used in the field as part of the field dressing for large wounds, in order to stop the bleeding, until the patient could be transported to a hospital facility. She said that the large IV bags were preferred, but in a pinch they would use any of the plastic bags at their disposal!

It was a bit sobering to me, to think that one of our products might be doubly valuable in saving the lives of our servicemen in harm’s way. She volunteered to send me pictures of the procedure (which may not have gotten through my spam filter, but probably would have been too graphic for a family friendly forum in any case!)

So, the next time you’re tempted to wonder about why you do what you do for a living, remember that your contribution could go far beyond what you can see, or sometimes even imagine. Your livelihood may even be saving lives in ways you’ve never even dreamed about! Just something to think about…