We Get to Take the Airport Shuttle: How Our Word Choice Impacts Ourselves and Others

Once upon a time our family traveled with young-ish children (ages 5 and 7). We flew into Chicago late one night after delays and a long day overall. It was around 10pm - basically midnight for children and sometimes their parents too. We were exhausted and ready for sweet, sweet sleep.

Then we discovered an unexpected obstacle between us and our hotel beds: we would have to take a shuttle to get to our rental car and then to the hotel.

As we navigated the enormous airport, we learned the shuttle came every 20 minutes. I let out a deep, guttural sigh before informing the kids, bracing myself for the chorus of whines, screams, and pouts.  

Instead, our youngest son lit up like he'd won the Lego lottery.

“We GET to take the airport shuttle???”

He said it with pure joy, like this was the best day of his life. He'd never been on an airport bus before, he explained, while looking at me like I was the one that didn’t make sense. I suppose taking four modes of transportation (train, plane, bus, car) in one day is a pretty big deal when you're five.

In that moment, he became the leader in the family. His energy was infectious (in a positive way, not the preschool-virus way). 

How Our Word Choice Impacts Ourselves and Others

It struck me how powerful replacing that one word was.

Instead of “we have to” he said “we get to.”

The impact was immediate. My mentality shifted. My attitude softened. My perspective widened. His simple reframing changed the trajectory of the (still long) evening. I could tap into his childlike wonder. I could find gratitude in the situation, just as he so easily did. 

One word changed our whole experience.

What Else is Possible? 

Could it work on other days? In other situations? Other “have-to’s?” 

What would be possible if I never “had to” do anything anymore? 

Now, when I hear the phrase, I am reminded of the sweet, enthusiastic voice innocently looking forward to the very thing that I was dreading. I don’t have to ride the proverbial airport shuttles. I get to! 

It doesn’t solve every bad-attitude day, but it sure does put a smile on my face…which I find to be a good start. 

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