Red Sea

The scene right before the boarding of my flight from Moscow to JFK was Russian style (which is very similar to Venezuelan style, a free-for-all mess.) 

Shortly after they called passengers who needed assistance for pre-boarding, a loud noise was heard. It was the sound of crutches crashing down after I fell on the floor trying to get to the gate. Then a gasp was heard throughout the red sea of people, which opened for the gate agent to cross it and help the fallen soldier. That made for a dry, clear path to the gate once I was up, as well as to celebrity status for the 9-hour flight.

I felt badly mostly for Allison, who had just said goodbye to me (as her flight was a half hour later) and we didn't get a chance to talk after the episode (other than my signaling that I was totally fine, Kramer-style).

The flight itself was very comfortable.  The bulkhead seats were spacious enough for my straight leg to fit (unlike other flights on which I had to switch rows because the bulkhead was shorter than my leg).