An Airplane Encounter

What a small interaction reveals about some big truths

I felt excited as I took my seat on the airplane. I was on my way to Austin for the first pre-launch event of my new book. The man sitting by the window glanced up at me and then looked back down at his newspaper. I could tell he was a New Yorker by how politely he ignored me.

Once the flight was in the air, he tapped me on the shoulder and asked, “I’m s…