Our drive to the airport was fun. We sang. We laughed. And my daughter poked fun at me as I told her the story of how I met her mother.

We had just walked into the airport when my daughter beamed with joy knowing fully well we would be flying DAT back to Abuja. She couldn’t contain her pleasure. When we came into Lagos with AP, she had complained bitterly she never wanted to fly AP again. What was the problem? ‘They are not nice like DAT. DAT gives us popcorn and treats us well. They are the best.’ The endorsement of a 7-year old.

So when we told her we booked DAT back to Abuja, she hugged us tight, thanked us and announced we were the best parents in the world. She was really looking forward to the flight. She hopped down to her seat in the aircraft, hugged all members of the cabin crew and smiled at some passengers and didn’t care if they smiled back or not. My daughter was just ecstatic. Of course she wanted the window seat and that was what she got. She wanted her brother to sit beside her and that we obliged. She buckled her belt and waited to hear the captain’s address. I sat behind her and marveled at how she was simply overjoyed with the thought of flying DAT.

I don’t like flying DAT, that’s beside the fact that flying doesn’t excite me in this country. If I have to list 10 airlines of choice, DAT won’t feature. I think their aircrafts are old and their pilots aren’t smooth. And since the crash some years ago that claimed over a hundred and fifty lives, DAT seized to be my airline of choice. They delay flights and even cancel sometimes. I pray more than usual whenever we have to fly them. Take off is rough, landing is rougher. No, I am not a fan of DAT. But my daughter is.

My daughter didn’t know any of my reservations about the airline. She didn’t know about the 150+ people that lost their lives years back. She pretty much couldn’t tell the difference between good landing and poor landing. Every aircraft was the same to her, they were all big and massive. She hadn’t been disappointed by DAT. And times when DAT delayed her she took the waiting time as just some extra lunch and hangout time.

And because of all these that she was unaware of and disappointments she hadn’t faced, inconsistencies she was oblivious of, her excitement for DAT was unparalleled. She was trusting. She was believing.

And that, for me, is the excitement of a virgin mind. Never known disappointment. Never known any failings. Never been heartbroken. Never been distraught. The virgin mind is goofy and hyper. A little popcorn is sufficient to win their heart. Their innocence is genuine. Their joy is pure and real. Their excitement is very contagious and sometimes annoying.

You’ve seen it play out in young loves, you’ve seen it displayed in first loves. You may preach caution all you care and warn about how we all err, it won’t faze them. They won’t yield. They are like my 7yr old, they know nothing about the ‘plane crashes’ that raise your doubts, they know nothing about the important meetings ‘delays in flight schedules’ make you lose. They can’t tell if the ‘aircraft’ has a funny sound or not, and they can’t tell the difference between old and new. Their reality is the popcorn, their reality is the warm and beautiful cabin crew ladies. The excitement of a virgin mind.

I wish I could tell them they won’t ever be disappointed. I wish I could tell you not to damage their virgin hearts. I wish I could ask them to tread with caution, I wish I could tell you to handle and treat them well. But they are virgins and you are human. As their experience is real, so is your folly.

So, just as I sat behind my daughter and watch the pure radiance of her soul and the inexplicable peace that radiated her being, I must confess I enjoyed it. And I envied her. I wished my mind hadn’t been soiled by the harsh realities of life. I wished I could delete the ‘crashes,’ and the inconsistencies. But I couldn’t. Again, I dared not share my gory tales and report how DAT is unreliable and unfaithful. That would be me trying to make her become like me. That would be me dragging her into the muddy corner of my weather-beaten heart and wanting her to be sour and distrusting like me.

See, when you see or witness the excitement of virgin minds, if you can’t share in their joy, and be excited with them, just keep quiet. Allow them experience the euphoria, for however long or short it lasts. Allow them feel the purity of their virginity. Don’t be quick to warn them about the uncertainties of their love interest and how all men/women are fallible. When they get to that bridge they would cross it. I mean, didn’t you cross yours? They would be fine. Let them be. And for all you know, their story may not always end like yours. You never know, there may be no ‘crashes’ in their future, and there may be  no ‘delays in their flights.’ Yes, their faith can be that strong. So stop spreading your sour realities every time you see someone enjoy a new love. Their honeymoon could be for a month or it could be for two decades or it may even last forever, what is that to you? Let them be! Let them feel. They deserve that experience.

See, the issue is many of us are so broken, we get mad at others for being whole. We are so damaged, we get irritated when we see pristine. Shouldn’t they be allowed their moment? Why steal from them?  That’s unfair and selfish.

Next time your friend share about their new found love, be genuinely happy for them, don’t sneer. Next time your friend share fun stories of their two months old baby, we know you’ve raised 5 kids already and you know the various phases of child development, shut up and allow them enjoy their moment. Next time, a new employee is ecstatic about the largess of the boss, don’t be quick to announce how you’ve been in the company for 5 years and how the boss is not that nice. Let people enjoy their moment. And for all you care, their moments could actually last forever! I mean, are you God?

And my daughter got more than popcorn, one of the cabin crew ladies treated her like she was some royalty. And by the time we were landing, she had made a new friend.