Oh, powerful and omniscient third person perspective. How I love thee.
Little did Rebecca Fuller know that when she found her assigned seat on her flight from Long Beach to Seattle that it would be taken by a three year old. Little did she know that the three year old's father would say, "Would you like an aisle seat, instead?" and that Rebecca would end up sitting in a different row in a seat she had no power in choosing. Little did she know that all of these small and seemingly inconsequential happenstances weren't so inconsequential after all!
[insert awkward transition from third person to first person here]
I absolutely adore flying. I love taking off, looking down at the cities as they get smaller and smaller, soaring over the clouds and marveling at the beauty of God's creation, and then landing at an incredibly scary yet somehow safe speed. It's all so glorious.
All that said, though, I have to say that my absolute favorite part of flying is the opportunity to talk with the person next to me. I have had so many fascinating conversations with what I like to call my "flying buddies", that I always hope that they will be willing to talk, too. Usually they do. And, boy do I have stories that I could share! But this is neither the place or the time for such stories. I am writing to share one story in particular; a story that the omniscient third person voice knew of all along.
Imagine my pure joy when I sit down in my newly and unofficially assigned seat and start making small talk with my flying buddy that I would hear an English accent in his response! My flying buddy was from the UK! From the moment he opened his mouth, I knew this would be a great flight. Jonathan is his name; an early thirty-something bespectacled man whose Ph.D. is in something impressively scientific that I cannot even remember (he's a genius when it comes to chemistry, that I can tell you). If I were an omniscient third person perspective for Jonathan, I would say something like:
Little did Jonathan know that when he sat down in his seat that he would soon be accompanied by a inquisitive American girl who would ask him all sorts of questions about life in the UK. Little did he know that he would even find himself enjoying the conversation, too.
The first thing I told him after I found out where he came from was that I was going to Cambridge this summer. I felt that it established my ethos as his conversation and flying buddy. He was impressed, so I knew I was in. He was mine for the next two hours. It was time to ask all of the looming questions I had about life in the UK.
Our flight went like this: while watching hilarious episodes of the Big Bang Theory on TBS, we would chat during the commercials. Here are some samples from our conversation...a medley, of sorts. Enjoy, and maybe even giggle to yourself as you read. That's always fun. :)
Me: So, do you guys have football over there?
Jonathan: Well, yes, we have football, American football, and Aussie Soccer.
Me: Oh, yeah, that's right! You call soccer, football! Which totally makes sense. What were we Americans thinking?
Jonathan: I don't know.
Me: OK, so my co-worker, Carri, tells me that we should put milk in our tea (she went to Oxford for a year), but this morning, my professor (who lived in Cambridge for a year) told me that we should put cream in our tea. Who is right? What do you put in your tea?
Jonathan: Oh, milk, for certain. Cream is much too thick. You might be thinking of Creamed Tea, though.
Me: Creamed Tea? What's that?
Jonathan: Oh, it's what we drink during Tea Time.
[insert massive smile on my face here]
Me: Tea Time?? When does that happen?
Jonathan: Oh, around 4 o'clock.
Me: So, what's it like living in a Monarchy? You know, as opposed to a Democracy?
[yes, I asked him this question. I was curious!]
Jonathan: Haha, well, I think daily life is the same for you as it is for me. The Queen doesn't necessarily do all that much.
Jonathan: Well, it was nice to meet you.
Me: Yes, it was! I hope you have a Merry Christmas! Wait, do you say 'merry' over there, or 'happy'?
Jonathan: *thinks for a moment* We say 'merry'.
Me: Oh, because in Harry Potter, they say 'happy'. OK. Well, then, Merry Christmas!
Jonathan: Merry Christmas to you, too.
Oh, omniscient third person perspective, you're so cool.
