Neptune and the Cello

The following experiences will definitely date me, in case my past stories haven’t already done so.

I had a few memorable encounters in my past life, working in a kitchen at 35,000 feet for nearly thirty years. There were two that I feel were most outstanding.

I spent the earlier years of my career flying to Montreal. It was a frigid morning in the dead of winter. Before the boarding of the flight, an agent came on board and said that Yo-Yo Ma would be boarding ahead of the crowd with his cello. He needed a few minutes to secure the prized instrument in a seat he had purchased for it.

The flight was a short one. I then found myself waiting in the airport taxi rank next to Mr. Ma and his cello. I mustered up the courage to ask him if he was planning on writing his life story. He said he hadn’t experienced enough of life to put a story together.

This was nearly forty years ago. A few years ago, when Notre Dame de Paris had reopened after many years of restoration, Yo-Yo Ma was asked to perform on the evening of the opening. I watched his performance on YouTube and immediately recalled his comment about life and writing his life story. I’ve just read that he’s been named by the United Nations as a Messenger of Peace.

A few years later on a flight from Nice, France to Atlanta. I had the pleasure of serving Jacques Cousteau and his wife.

He stood in the galley during mild turbulence with no need to hold on to anything for support, his sea legs still served him well. I was in awe of his presence, standing less than a few inches away from this French Neptune. He was unassuming and soft spoken, not unlike the way he narrated his episodes on tv.