Airport Decoration

I was sitting in an airport waiting for a flight last week, and I had a revelation. As I sat in a huge waiting area, I felt uneasy. I really could not figure out why. I wasn't worried about the flight. I had a seat guaranteed. I wasn't late. I wasn't crowded. I was healthy, and generally in good spirits.

I was surrounded by a tastefully decorated waiting area. The floor tile was a light gray. The carpet was tastefully beige. The metal was a high tech brushed nickel finish. And the indirectly lighted cieling was a muted off white. The banks of seating were upholstered in cream colored vinyl. The view out the window was all about concrete, and jet planes.

Then it occured to me. There wasn't a single natural thing anywhere in the area. No wood, no plants, no pictures of anything occuring in nature. Was that the reason I felt so uneasy? I walked over to the bar area where you could buy a drink. Sure enough, the tables were made of cherry wood, as were the chairs. The mural behind the bar depicted mallards gliding in for a landing in a marsh. I immediately felt myself relax just a little. (Without a drink.)

I'm beginning to understand why we surround ourselves with wood and wood products. They comfort us. We respond to wooden objects as if they are still living things. In a world far removed from natural surroundings, wood is a link to our primal natures. No wonder we love it in our lives.

It's also yet another reason why air travel is so disliked by most fliers in the nation.