day into night

There's a scene early on in Miyazaki's Spirited Away when day suddenly turns to night--a sweep of nightfall crossing the scene, and with the darkness come the spirits, disembarking to visit the tea house. Chihiro's reality changes around her in an instant.

This happened to me yesterday evening when I was waiting at international arrivals in Logan Airport for Wakanomori's plane to touch town. It wasn't crowded--a few people sitting on chairs in the waiting area, a few random people like me, airport staff. I decided to walk the length of the arrivals floor. Down one way, then back to the center, where a big door with "Customs and Immigration: Do Not Enter" disgorges new arrivals, and then down the other direction, past where people were sitting on chairs and on the floor.

Oh but wait. This was a lot of people. And an awful lot of small kids. It was families. And each family had a bright-colored fleece blanket on the floor, sometimes two. Some children were sleeping. There were big plastic bags here and there.

( another world )

If only all the world's trauma could all be addressed with a kit.