The Story Behind an Airplane Ride and a Couple of Stories
The Story Behind an Airplane Ride and a Couple of Stories
Lynn and I were on our way to Washington, D.C., to visit our son David, and his girlfriend Lisa, in November 2015. We were sitting in adjoining aisle seats, and a nice young woman, Anna, had the misfortune of sitting in the seat next to me. It has been well documented, by self-admission, how I will talk to any unfortunate soul within range about this book. On this flight, Anna was my target.
I don’t remember what prompted me to start in on her; maybe she mentioned her boyfriend’s job involved sports; maybe she wore a T-shirt with a team name. I don’t remember, and it doesn’t really matter, but she was subjected to, and at least from my self-serving perspective, not terribly bothered by, my discussion of my book, my plea for stories and my regaling her with various stories I had received. She did reply, after my periodic “Am I boring you” questions, that she was enjoying it. Whether or not she was just being kind, I accepted it as the truth and green light.
One story that I related to her was one that I had been involved in, or, to be more accurate, was the focal point. It was, as we affectionately now call it, the sunscreen incident, at which I was at a Giants/Nationals game with David, Lisa, and some of their friends, in 2012. I had the whole story down very clearly in my memory, but I was still waiting for Lisa to write her version of it. I mentioned to Anna that I hadn’t yet gotten that story. Anyway, after, seriously, perhaps an hour or two, I released Anna from having to listen to me go on and on, after she had given me her email address and assured me that her boyfriend, Billy, would have a story for me.
When the plane landed, and I turned on my phone to check my email, imagine to my great shock and delight, I had received that long-anticipated email from Lisa with the story (You can find it on p.232)! I read it through, smiling the entire way at my own expense, and turned to Anna. “Look”, I said, “this is amazing, this is the story I told you I was waiting for, look at the date, it is today”. Anna smiled, or something, and then I sent a text to Lisa saying: “boy you will do anything for a few free meals”. It is actually one of my favorite stories, as it was maybe the third time we had met, was the first time that Lisa and I had a (semi) private experience and became a shared memory that will last between us forever.
I did get a great story from Billy (in the chapter Love and Baseball, p.45) and have continued to be in contact as their relationship progressed from boyfriend/girlfriend to engagement to marriage. And, of course, as far as Lisa, well, despite the indication about what a knucklehead her boyfriend’s dad was, and what she was getting involved with, she ignored those warnings and married David in 2018.
Lynn and I were on our way to Washington, D.C., to visit our son David, and his girlfriend Lisa, in November 2015. We were sitting in adjoining aisle seats, and a nice young woman, Anna, had the misfortune of sitting in the seat next to me. It has been well documented, by self-admission, how I will talk to any unfortunate soul within range about this book. On this flight, Anna was my target.
I don’t remember what prompted me to start in on her; maybe she mentioned her boyfriend’s job involved sports; maybe she wore a T-shirt with a team name. I don’t remember, and it doesn’t really matter, but she was subjected to, and at least from my self-serving perspective, not terribly bothered by, my discussion of my book, my plea for stories and my regaling her with various stories I had received. She did reply, after my periodic “Am I boring you” questions, that she was enjoying it. Whether or not she was just being kind, I accepted it as the truth and green light.
One story that I related to her was one that I had been involved in, or, to be more accurate, was the focal point. It was, as we affectionately now call it, the sunscreen incident, at which I was at a Giants/Nationals game with David, Lisa, and some of their friends, in 2012. I had the whole story down very clearly in my memory, but I was still waiting for Lisa to write her version of it. I mentioned to Anna that I hadn’t yet gotten that story. Anyway, after, seriously, perhaps an hour or two, I released Anna from having to listen to me go on and on, after she had given me her email address and assured me that her boyfriend, Billy, would have a story for me.
When the plane landed, and I turned on my phone to check my email, imagine to my great shock and delight, I had received that long-anticipated email from Lisa with the story (You can find it on p.232)! I read it through, smiling the entire way at my own expense, and turned to Anna. “Look”, I said, “this is amazing, this is the story I told you I was waiting for, look at the date, it is today”. Anna smiled, or something, and then I sent a text to Lisa saying: “boy you will do anything for a few free meals”. It is actually one of my favorite stories, as it was maybe the third time we had met, was the first time that Lisa and I had a (semi) private experience and became a shared memory that will last between us forever.
I did get a great story from Billy (in the chapter Love and Baseball, p.45) and have continued to be in contact as their relationship progressed from boyfriend/girlfriend to engagement to marriage. And, of course, as far as Lisa, well, despite the indication about what a knucklehead her boyfriend’s dad was, and what she was getting involved with, she ignored those warnings and married David in 2018.