The flight between New York City and Los Angeles is one I look forward to as an opportunity to get a lot done: edit manuscripts, read, stare into space uninterrupted. If I’m really lucky, I might also get to watch an in-flight movie that actually matches my taste.
A good thing got better recently as I found a nonstop cheap fare on Virgin American. Never having flown with them before, I didn’t realize that the planes—with their beautifully designed interiors—also have computer screens on the back of each seat and a handset encased in the right arm. This allows you to do all sorts of great things, including purchase snacks, play games, listen to a favorite musical artist or radio station, monitor the progress of the flight and pay to view new-release films of your choice. Perfect. I could finally see Slumdog Millionaire, the Oscar winner that I’d been trying to get after weeks of failed attempts.
I was comfy in my seat and half-way through the film when I got another surprise. A message window appears in the middle of my screen: 5B asking if I “want to talk?” I sit up in my seat asking myself, “who the hell is in 5B?” and “what do I do now?”
In a matter of seconds I consider that: I’m clueless about how I use the handset to reply, I don’t want to lose track of the movie nor the 8 bucks I paid for it, and if this is a hoax pulled by a wise-guy fellow passenger, I’ll feel like a chump. So, of the two touch-screen options, I chose ignore. As Slumdog ended and I pondered the matters of love and fate, it occurred to me that sitting a dozen seats ahead, might just be the one—the love or a million dollars—that got away. Who knew? I raised my head just a bit, but unable to sort anyone out in the dark, smiled to myself and sighed.
A senior editor at Altria Books (Simon and Schuster), Malaika Adero has worked in the book publishing industry for more than 20
years. She worked in an independent bookstore, at a scholarly press and
then an educational book publisher before taking a position of
editorial assistant at New American Library in 1985. She grew as an
editor at Simon & Schuster, and then Fireside, from 1985 to 1991,
returning to S&S for the launch of Atria in 2002. She was the
founding executive editor for Amistad Press (from 1992 – 1996) and
director of her own editorial and publishing consulting firm, Blue
Media Editorial Services. She received a Tony Godwin Award in 1988 and
was an editorial fellow at the Jerusalem Bookfair in 1995.
California painter Julia Kay thought her three-year Daily Portrait blog was just for her. But since then, it has meant much more, for her life, her art, and for her community (including us.)
As always, my children and husband have enriched my emotional education and taught me some things about Thanksgiving.
"Who's bringing breakfast tomorrow?" I asked. The tiny hesitation before her answer told me that my relief had been premature. I closed my eyes even before her words were out. "Uhm, Mama? I forgot to tell you..."
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A pleasure to meet you yesterday at the SWAC (Farai’s reading). I finally put a face to the name! The manuscript was Night Flights Over the Sahara. Small world.
By the way I really enjoyed the event. I also like to stare into space when I fly. Write more.
My local email addy is [email protected].
From now on, I will pay attention to those pop-up questions on the screen. Since I, too, ignore them, I may be passing up “the one.” Ya never know.