i missed the freedom of pre 9-11 when family members could go to the gate and say their goodbyes , watch men with huge ear protectors out on the tarmac scurry around performing their jobs like synchronized swimmers , the sound of engines roaring to life , escalating until the plane began its slow roll toward a place in the line near the runway , and then waving them off , although you could never tell which window to wave at , everyone was so small at that distance .