Robin Schmidt can’t wait to board her next commercial airline flight – and the next, and the next. The blonde-haired and perky 48-year-old woman from Covington absolutely revels in traveling to interesting, faraway places, but that‘s not the only reason she enjoys flying.
Just take a typical day on the job, starting with a friendly smile as passengers board the airliner. Schmidt gives the usual welcoming greeting and appropriate safety information, then she adds an extra little announcement – a challenge. She tells of her passion for recognizing the service of U.S. troops, explaining how they often feel lonely and disengaged, and how there is a way to help. Schmidt, as a Delta flight attendant, sees each oncoming group of passengers she greets with enthusiastic eyes, as partners in a grand mission. She wants her passenger friends to join her in a project of caring, one she says “makes my job more intrinsically rewarding.”
“I’ll pass around a journal,” she says to the Delta travelers, “and I’ll give you an opportunity to write some upbeat words, tell a joke or maybe even a prayer…anything you would want to read if you were far away from home. This will give encouragement to the serviceman I’m currently supporting.”
