Cheese is coming back in style

I forgot to post this from last winter....
Happy New Year! God Bless America

“Ya know what’s making a come back again? Cheese.”

Why didn’t I sit next to the man who said that? Then again, I couldn’t possibly have known that he would be the most interesting person at the airport. Nothing about his oversized trenchcoat, turtleneck and tennis shoes could’ve broadcast that. I could’ve maybe made a move after I overheard the conversation with his family. The end that I could hear started something like this:

“Hey honey, it’s daddy. How are you doing sweetheart….. what? Well how am I supposed to know? you talk like a girl so what do you want from me? WHAT? That is not funny, I TOLD you to stay away from my Firebird. Not a finger!”

The girl that was sitting next to this man had no time for him whatsoever. I think it’s safe to say that she didn’t realize what she had. I didn’t get the chance to know her as well as I got to know Vin from my eavesdropping. She was a tougher nut to crack. Pink track suit, flip flops. cell phone. Ipod. She did not want to talk to him, but he was persistant. She would fake a laugh and put in her earphones, first one then both. Eventually she stopped taking them out when he came up with a new topic of conversation.

That’s the line that did him in.

“Ya know what’s making a comeback again? Cheese.” I spit a little bit of Diet Coke from across the way, but no one noticed. That’s another reason I love New York. No one notices anything. That’s the shame of it too. Vin came up with the best intro line I’ve ever heard and that girl simply did not care. I watched from across the way as she added the extra protective layer of zipping up the hoodie, putting her knees up on the chair—trying to squeeze herself into invisibility. This did not work either. It sounded to me like he had teenagers, he was probably used to people ignoring him.

Curious to know about how cheese managed to bounce back again, I started trying to physically impose myself into the conversation from across the aisle. “Please don’t stop talking” I telepathically broadcasted “please please pick up and run with the cheese thing.” He did. I’m that good. He went on to tell this girl that every 10 years or so wine and cheese makes a comeback in the US (not internationally of course, where it has worked it’s wiley way into the lifestyle.) Every 10 years or so restaurants start to bring it back and it gets really popular. It happened in the 80’s and the 90’s and now it’s happening again. What heralded this comeback? I would’ve asked. What shot cheese from obscurity back into the public eye again in 2008? She started singing quietly along with her ipod. A perfect waste.

I kept wanting to catch his eye, but he never looked my way. Maybe it’s for the best. I can’t imagine what we would’ve talked about all the way to Florida—I can’t imagine it getting any better than that, but it could’ve. There is a world of potential in airports and other waiting rooms that is lost. That’s why I don’t listen to my ipod in public places. Sometimes if I’m uncomfortable I’ll put the headphones in and pretend to be listening. That leaves me fin rather the best position when I’m in a situation that is funny without my involvement. If I don’t need to meddle at all, that’s the best way really, because then it doesn’t seem like I’m gawking or taking notes. Not that anyone would notice if I did. I love New York.