Monday, April 8, 2013

Meeting Thelonious Monk

Yesterday I was working at Customer Service at the airport when a gentleman came up because he had missed his connection to Memphis.  I took a look at his boarding pass and remarked on his name, Thelonious Monk.  "Are you related?" I asked.  He replied that the famous jazz musician was his father.  In chatting with him while I tried to find a way for him to get to Memphis, I found out that he is also a jazz musician, a drummer.  It was nice to be able to help him get to his destination,  sorry that he would be a little late.  Later when I mentioned meeting him to a co-worker they didn't recognize the name.  I suppose that is normal since last fall when there were some "aging" rock stars waiting for a plane at a gate I didn't recognize the name of the band that they played with but several of my co-workers did.
Last fall I was thrilled when I was checking passports for an international flight, I got to meet one of my favorite authors, Alexander McCall Smith.  There was only one flight attendant that I told who knew who he is.  Even several years ago when I helped a gentleman named Winston Churchill, few recognized the name (my passenger was the grandson of the English PM).
C'est la vie!