DALLAS — If you board a plane with flight attendant John McKay, you’re likely going to be offered much more than a bag of pretzels.
That’s because in addition to his carry-on, the Las Vegas-based Southwest Airlines employee packs a journal that really belongs to his passengers.
Sometimes McKay makes an announcement, other times he says he’ll just hand the journal to a passenger who seems like a good fit.
There are no instructions or rules for what happens next. Passengers add whatever comes to mind. Some have spontaneously shared poetry, prayers and even love advice.
“Don’t ever give up on love, even when it feels like it’s nowhere to be found,” one person wrote.
“I lift up Catalina to you, she is facing another battle with cancer,” another said.
Others let their art do the talking.
“People may be traveling for a happy reason or a sad reason, and you oftentimes don’t have time to figure that out,” McKay said. “So it was a way that I kind of keyed into that.”
The flight attendant said he was inspired by someone else’s idea idea and started sharing his journal in 2023. Then he flew from Maui after that island’s devastating wildfires.
“I made an announcement about the journal that day, and before I could finish the announcement, there was a guy in the front row that grabbed that out of my hands, and it traveled the entire plane for the rest of the five hours,” he said.
Passengers poured their hearts out about more than just Maui on the journal’s pages.
“Lost my son a year and a half ago, couldn’t work, couldn’t get out of bed for almost 10 months,” someone wrote.
“It’s powerful stuff,” said McKay, adding, “I think connection is the most important thing for humans.”
A concept that has resonated so much that McKay recently started the project’s third journal.
On a recent flight from Dallas to Houston, McKay traveled as a passenger to see his project in motion.
Shorlty after takeoff, passenger Eliza Norris quickly offered to put pen to paper.
“Thought I had it all … and so many losses also. Through it all never give up,” she wrote.
