A Working Actor's Lament (Chapter 79)
Flying High
To say the actor was cold would be an understatement.
No, the actor was not cold in temperature, he was downright Siberian. He had never felt a cold like this; a cold that benumbed his inner core to the point where any forward movement was solely based on whether the twitching of his muscles moved him in that particular direction.
Sure, it was expected. When he left the tropical conditions of the Pacific Ocean, he had relied on the Weather Channel's app on his iPhone. It brought back data of freezing temperatures in the Mid-West. He was used to the lows in the upper 40's in California and remembered that he had once lived out in the figid towns where cows are tipped daily. He would be able to handle the temperature a meer 10 degrees cooler.
Sitting at terminal 34B in CMH Airport reflecting on his trip to this snowy region, he was happy to be heading home. Although he would miss his Grandma who had just turned 92 years old (this was a trip to celebrate her birthday), his parents and siblings (as well as their boys), he would not miss the cutting breeze of 10 degree air hitting his bare hands as he brush inches of snow off his rented Kia Optima. He would not miss the slushy roads that did not want to grab the tread of his tires. He would not miss Mother Nature releasing a wintery storm that this area had not been seen in years.
He sat in the terminal close to the entrance of the causeway as his plane taxied up to the opening at the end. The door leading into the terminal was opened and, with a gust of air that took his breath away, he knew he was ready to head home.
On his flight from CMH to Chi-Town, he could not get warm. Yes, he was wearing his heavy jacket (heavy by California standards), but it felt as if their was a waft of air coming from the window where he sat and watched the snow covered trees below. His brain told him this was an impossiblity since they would be sucked out into the nipping clouds to a certain death. No, this was his soul hoping for some of that chicken soup he had read about.
Landing in the windy city (and glad he was not outside to see if it was true), he found his new gate, H9, called his wife to tell her he missed her (especially her body heat under the covers while they spooned), then boarded AA Flight 889 to Los Angeles. Only four and a half hours until the smoggy California air.
As he walked down the aisle, he noticed someone sitting in his row; aisle seat 24C. He was window seat 24A. He was flip-flopping about whether he wanted an overweight passenger in 24B for the warmth but realized quickly that it would become too personal a flight.
As the actor sat down, he introduced himself to the gentleman in 24C, something he rarely does on any airline. Why did he do it this time, he did not know. There was something about this man that seemed to intrique the actor, maybe that was the reason. To this day, it is unknown.
The men exchanged plesantries and began to talk, in a the small fashion. The actor asked the man in 24C what he was doing in Los Angeles and the man responded that he was heading back to shoot a film.
Hindsight is a funny thing. Not funny "ha ha" but funny in some other way. The actor now knew why he felt he needed to talk to this man, but he didn't know why he knew. Strange is the human condition.
Through the conversation, the actor told of his acting and the director told of his directing. 24C asked 24A if he had a business card, and one was produced. The actor had filled his wallet with business cards but had yet to ever be asked for one. He did keep them on him for an occation just like this one. How fortunate he had not cleaned out his wallet before he left Sunny Cal.
After the flight took off, the man in 24C closed his eyes and took a four hour nap. In the course of their conversation, the actor had found out the director had been traveling from Oman and had been traveling most of the last two days. He thought it best to let the man rest and not bother him with idle chit-chat.
The plane landed, quite smoothly, and the two men stood up to clear out their bags from the overhead department. While waiting for all the passengers from rows 1 through 23 to get their lives off the plane, the director turned to the actor, extended his hand out and said "We will work together soon". And, like that, he was off the plane and not to be found.
As the actor debarked, he thought to himself, "Thanks for having a birthday, Grandma."
He dialed his wife's cell phone on his way down the escalator, past the baggage claim and into the warm California air. Yes, the warm air...this is where he had to be.
To say the actor was cold would be an understatement.
No, the actor was not cold in temperature, he was downright Siberian. He had never felt a cold like this; a cold that benumbed his inner core to the point where any forward movement was solely based on whether the twitching of his muscles moved him in that particular direction.Sure, it was expected. When he left the tropical conditions of the Pacific Ocean, he had relied on the Weather Channel's app on his iPhone. It brought back data of freezing temperatures in the Mid-West. He was used to the lows in the upper 40's in California and remembered that he had once lived out in the figid towns where cows are tipped daily. He would be able to handle the temperature a meer 10 degrees cooler.
Sitting at terminal 34B in CMH Airport reflecting on his trip to this snowy region, he was happy to be heading home. Although he would miss his Grandma who had just turned 92 years old (this was a trip to celebrate her birthday), his parents and siblings (as well as their boys), he would not miss the cutting breeze of 10 degree air hitting his bare hands as he brush inches of snow off his rented Kia Optima. He would not miss the slushy roads that did not want to grab the tread of his tires. He would not miss Mother Nature releasing a wintery storm that this area had not been seen in years.
He sat in the terminal close to the entrance of the causeway as his plane taxied up to the opening at the end. The door leading into the terminal was opened and, with a gust of air that took his breath away, he knew he was ready to head home.
On his flight from CMH to Chi-Town, he could not get warm. Yes, he was wearing his heavy jacket (heavy by California standards), but it felt as if their was a waft of air coming from the window where he sat and watched the snow covered trees below. His brain told him this was an impossiblity since they would be sucked out into the nipping clouds to a certain death. No, this was his soul hoping for some of that chicken soup he had read about.
Landing in the windy city (and glad he was not outside to see if it was true), he found his new gate, H9, called his wife to tell her he missed her (especially her body heat under the covers while they spooned), then boarded AA Flight 889 to Los Angeles. Only four and a half hours until the smoggy California air.
As he walked down the aisle, he noticed someone sitting in his row; aisle seat 24C. He was window seat 24A. He was flip-flopping about whether he wanted an overweight passenger in 24B for the warmth but realized quickly that it would become too personal a flight.As the actor sat down, he introduced himself to the gentleman in 24C, something he rarely does on any airline. Why did he do it this time, he did not know. There was something about this man that seemed to intrique the actor, maybe that was the reason. To this day, it is unknown.
The men exchanged plesantries and began to talk, in a the small fashion. The actor asked the man in 24C what he was doing in Los Angeles and the man responded that he was heading back to shoot a film.
Hindsight is a funny thing. Not funny "ha ha" but funny in some other way. The actor now knew why he felt he needed to talk to this man, but he didn't know why he knew. Strange is the human condition.
Through the conversation, the actor told of his acting and the director told of his directing. 24C asked 24A if he had a business card, and one was produced. The actor had filled his wallet with business cards but had yet to ever be asked for one. He did keep them on him for an occation just like this one. How fortunate he had not cleaned out his wallet before he left Sunny Cal.
After the flight took off, the man in 24C closed his eyes and took a four hour nap. In the course of their conversation, the actor had found out the director had been traveling from Oman and had been traveling most of the last two days. He thought it best to let the man rest and not bother him with idle chit-chat.
The plane landed, quite smoothly, and the two men stood up to clear out their bags from the overhead department. While waiting for all the passengers from rows 1 through 23 to get their lives off the plane, the director turned to the actor, extended his hand out and said "We will work together soon". And, like that, he was off the plane and not to be found.
As the actor debarked, he thought to himself, "Thanks for having a birthday, Grandma."
He dialed his wife's cell phone on his way down the escalator, past the baggage claim and into the warm California air. Yes, the warm air...this is where he had to be.
