For a 6 am flight, there is a nice camaraderie in the airport. People seem too groggy to have their defenses up. We trade bleary-eyed glances. We stifle or release yawns. A coffeeless Grandma gazes with envy at her coffee-sipping neighbors.

My fellow passengers rise from slumped postures as hustling feet click from somewhere down the hall. We wait with sleepy curiosity as the footsteps approach. Finally, around the corner a woman in a Superman t-shirt marches hurriedly to her gate. She’s not faster than a speeding bullet, but who can blame her at this hour? A scarf tied on her backpack floats out behind her. Coffee-envious-Grandma and I trade a grin as Superwoman passes. Good morning seems apt to mutter, despite it all.

–Manchester, NH airport