Jorge Ortiz

We increasingly talk about how stressful airports are, but we probably don’t realize that it’s even more stressful for the people who work there doing their best to be of service to us. Jorge Ortiz is one of those workers. He works on the baggage ramp for United Airlines at O’Hare Airport servicing aircraft and making sure baggage doesn’t get lost.

It’s a stressful job. There is constant pressure to get things done quickly. There’s a lot of movement around the planes, so one has to be constantly alert. And in the winter one is outside much of the time in very cold weather.

Jorge joined Zen Life & Meditation Center (ZLMC) in 2010 as a practicing member. He was always interested in meditation but was never sure if he was doing it right. He’s now completed the Primer and the Gateway series at ZLMC and says it’s been very helpful for him in his daily life. He finds that mindfulness helps him stay focused on his job. He says he has also become less reactive when dealing with other people. He likes the many offerings of ZLMC and being able to practice together with others in a spiritual community.

Jorge was born in Mexico in 1963. When he was 8 years old, his family immigrated to Chicago, where his father, Gonzalo worked in the Republic Steel Mill in South Chicago. In 1978 the steel mill closed and Gonzalo lost his pension, but he was lucky to get a job working at United Airlines. Now Jorge has the same job as his father. 

Jorge’s mother is Romona. He has three siblings: Jose, Maria and younger brother, Victor. Jorge has two sons and two daughters from a previous marriage.

So next time you’re at O’Hare Airport and you’re feeling frustrated, remember the people like Jorge who work there every day, often in much more stressful situations than yours, helping you travel safely and get to your destination with your bags intact.