A Surprise
On my way to Virginia, I had a brief layover in Dallas. While waiting outside gate A24 for my second plane to Norfolk, I noticed a very tall black man, in his twenties maybe, leaning quietly against the wall across from the gate door. I noticed him because he was quite impressive looking, his massive frame alone made him stand out, but he was also very handsome and had a calm demeanor about him. The man was wearing dressy hip hop clothes and maybe an earring in one of his ears. I couldn't help glancing at him multiple times while we waited to board the plane.
When we boarded, I sat down and briefly saw the man take a seat and then, rise a moment later, apologize politely to someone and then move to another seat. He must have accidentally taken someone else's seat. That was the last I noticed of him until we landed in Norfolk. I called my cousin Peter as I walked out of the plane to ask where I should meet him. Since I had no clue as to where I was going, I just followed the crowd form my plane hoping they were going where I needed to meet my cousin. Just when I was becoming a little nervous that I was going in the wrong direction, the man I had noticed earlier showed up, walking near me. It seemed the perfect moment to ask for directions before I went too much further. I turned my face, craning my neck to look his face, since he towered over me, smiled and said, "Excuse me, have you been here before?"
He looked down at me with a friendly countenance, "Do you mean at this airport? Yes. What do you need?"
"Well, I am supposed to meet my cousin at the passenger pick up area, but I don't know where it is. Am I heading in the right direction?"
He smiled at me and answered, "Yes. Just keep going straight down this hallway, and it is on the floor below us."
"Oh, thank you." I said. "I just wanted to make sure so I wouldn't be wandering endlessly around."
He gave a little laugh. We kept walking for a few paces. After a brief interlude with a stranger it is an unspoken custom to subtly increase the distance between you by walking faster or slowing your pace so you are no longer walking side by side. This is to avoid awkward conversation or worse, the awkwardness of walking so closely in silence. As we walked along for a few seconds, I realized we were still keeping the same pace, so, noticing the wet streets outside, I said, "Oooh! It's raining!
"Do you love the rain?" he asked.
"Yes! But it doesn't rain much in Tucson, where I'm from."
The guy smiled again. "I don't like the rain much. I play football."
Having seen guys slipping and sliding around the field during football games, I answered knowingly, "Oh yeah, that would make it more difficult. Well, you should come to Tucson. You could play football, like, every DAY there."
He laughed again but said, "Well, I like it where I am in Texas right now."
I nodded and we were quiet as we just stepped onto the escalator. Since we had been talking about it, I was suddenly curious about something, so turning back to him as the escalator brought us down, "So, do you play football for school or something?"
Another slight smile played across his lips as he said, "No, I play for the Cowboys."
Now I am not a sports person in the least, but I did know that the Cowboys were a professional football team. Embarrassed and laughing at my own ignorance, I turned away to regain my composure. It helped that I heard him chuckle as well, so I turned back to him and said admiringly, "Wow! That's impressive!"
He seemed glad I had said so, but by that time we were at the bottom of the escalator and it was time to part so I thanked him for his help, he said, "You're welcome" and we both said goodbye and went in different directions. When my cousin, who had taught me the rules of football when we were younger, picked me up, I told him the story. He was excited and amazed (and I think a little envious), but I hadn't asked the man's name so we determined to look through all of the Cowboys team member photos to find out. There are sixty players. Forty or more of them are black, so that narrows the choices down a bit. I will let you know when I find out. In the mean time, I am very excited about my little run-in with a sweet, professional football player.
When we boarded, I sat down and briefly saw the man take a seat and then, rise a moment later, apologize politely to someone and then move to another seat. He must have accidentally taken someone else's seat. That was the last I noticed of him until we landed in Norfolk. I called my cousin Peter as I walked out of the plane to ask where I should meet him. Since I had no clue as to where I was going, I just followed the crowd form my plane hoping they were going where I needed to meet my cousin. Just when I was becoming a little nervous that I was going in the wrong direction, the man I had noticed earlier showed up, walking near me. It seemed the perfect moment to ask for directions before I went too much further. I turned my face, craning my neck to look his face, since he towered over me, smiled and said, "Excuse me, have you been here before?"
He looked down at me with a friendly countenance, "Do you mean at this airport? Yes. What do you need?"
"Well, I am supposed to meet my cousin at the passenger pick up area, but I don't know where it is. Am I heading in the right direction?"
He smiled at me and answered, "Yes. Just keep going straight down this hallway, and it is on the floor below us."
"Oh, thank you." I said. "I just wanted to make sure so I wouldn't be wandering endlessly around."
He gave a little laugh. We kept walking for a few paces. After a brief interlude with a stranger it is an unspoken custom to subtly increase the distance between you by walking faster or slowing your pace so you are no longer walking side by side. This is to avoid awkward conversation or worse, the awkwardness of walking so closely in silence. As we walked along for a few seconds, I realized we were still keeping the same pace, so, noticing the wet streets outside, I said, "Oooh! It's raining!
"Do you love the rain?" he asked.
"Yes! But it doesn't rain much in Tucson, where I'm from."
The guy smiled again. "I don't like the rain much. I play football."
Having seen guys slipping and sliding around the field during football games, I answered knowingly, "Oh yeah, that would make it more difficult. Well, you should come to Tucson. You could play football, like, every DAY there."
He laughed again but said, "Well, I like it where I am in Texas right now."
I nodded and we were quiet as we just stepped onto the escalator. Since we had been talking about it, I was suddenly curious about something, so turning back to him as the escalator brought us down, "So, do you play football for school or something?"
Another slight smile played across his lips as he said, "No, I play for the Cowboys."
Now I am not a sports person in the least, but I did know that the Cowboys were a professional football team. Embarrassed and laughing at my own ignorance, I turned away to regain my composure. It helped that I heard him chuckle as well, so I turned back to him and said admiringly, "Wow! That's impressive!"
He seemed glad I had said so, but by that time we were at the bottom of the escalator and it was time to part so I thanked him for his help, he said, "You're welcome" and we both said goodbye and went in different directions. When my cousin, who had taught me the rules of football when we were younger, picked me up, I told him the story. He was excited and amazed (and I think a little envious), but I hadn't asked the man's name so we determined to look through all of the Cowboys team member photos to find out. There are sixty players. Forty or more of them are black, so that narrows the choices down a bit. I will let you know when I find out. In the mean time, I am very excited about my little run-in with a sweet, professional football player.
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