Peter Jacobson and I met and shook hands today while riding the number one train headed Uptown. If you don’t know who that is, like the thirty-nine other passengers in the train car, check out his IMDb. Yes! One of the doctors from House. Before he got off the train, I said, “Hey! I know you! You’re from House,” and as soon as he left, this woman asked me if that was the guy from House, making her one less person on the train car to recognize him, I said, “Heck yeah! Can you believe it! Now today’s a great day!” She laughed at me.
I share this story because I want to make a point about something I learned today, so please don’t think this is bragging; I strongly dislike bragging and the word hate, even though I wanted to use it to describe how much I dislike bragging. The point is, living in New York City, you have to be at the right place at the right time. I thought about everything I did up until the handshake to see if my point was valid, so you tell me if it is:
- I took my time getting out the door. I arrived at the nearby train station at 2:15pm, headed to Manhattan to hang out at Greenacre Park.
- I hung out at the park for thirty to forty-five minutes.
- I hopped back on the subway, got off at the wrong stop, ran into a festival, and then wound up at Columbus Circle; by then I walked around Central Park.
- I watched a softball game for thirty minutes.
- I walked to the subway station near the Lincoln Center, sat down on the bench and waited for the number one train Uptown. When the train arrived, it was too full, so I waited for the next train. While I waited for another number one train, on my right was this mopey young lady and on my left was this mom with her three screaming kids. It had to be five minutes before the next train arrived, where two men walk down the platform, making a bunch of noise. One man sang to the other that all he wanted to do was stick his finger up his butt. The mopey young lady moved further down the platform away from the men and so did the family and so did I, even though I was laughing.
- At this point, I was on the train, leaning against the sliding doors in the center of the train car. It had to be five or six stops before Peter Jacobson stood up to get off the train, and bang (make a loud bang sound for dramatic effect, sounds enhance the story), that’s when we met and shook hands.
I was at the right place at the right time, making decisions earlier I didn’t realize at the time would lead me to meet the Peter Jacobson. Our choices influence what we do, of course, but to realize that first hand is wild. And to think that I was only headed to see the Little Red Lighthouse.
To Peter Jacobson:
If you come across this entry, I want to thank you for being a nice and humble man. After we met, our encountered solidified the idea that if I ever reached the level of fame that you have, then I too would maintain a normal life by riding the New York subway because it’s a common and modest form of transportation. I’m not ingratiating you, I’m thanking you for being genuine.
Zachary Chance 