SOS Asheville

I used to be one of those air travellers who raced through airports just to get to the next place I was required to sit and wait, where I would read, or write emails which I would later send. Not so, since I discovered the electronic oasis of the basement walkway at Detroit airport.
The space is like a football stadium tunnel, only it is about two blocks long. Running on either side are two sets of horizontal escalators, which have a break in the middle. The ceiling is a deep, violet-colored blue, and on the walls are milky-quartz like opaque panels, with swirls which vaguely resemble mountains or clouds. Behind these panels are multiple-colored lights which are synchronized with the instrumental music which runs from techno to harp.
Sometimes the light show is just plain psychedelic; other times it is made to look like a 24 hour day, cycling between reddish-hued sunrises, yellow and green days, and darker green, blue, and blue-purple nights, with shafts of lightening and sounds of rain interspersed.
Now, rather than sit and wait, I “ride the rails” as many times as I can, leaning against the handrail and enjoying the show. I feel much less harried, and I end up not having enough time to buy anything, including the food which will give me heartburn, whch is available in an airport. And I still have a little time to sit and enter this into my computer before the next plane is called to embark.
Addendum: Joke’s on me—on my way back this time, our plane was kept in a holding pattern over Detroit airport and, when we finally landed, I had just barely enough time to race through the basement to my next flight. I laughed as I nearly ran the walkways, aware of the “beauty” around me which I couldn’t partake of in my usual, relaxed manner. But I had gotten to enjoy the beauty of Detroit’s lights from the airplane as we kept circling.