Do you know who you are?

Wanda June and Leonard made a trip to the city the other day to see their ten-year-old granddaughter off on a flight to New York City where she was met by her aunt and taken on a whirlwind tour of the city. I was a little skeptical about the little girl flying by herself and a little more about Wanda June and Leonard finding their way through the maze of the airport and into the terminal where they were given special permission to accompany her to the plane. 

As it turned out, they had absolutely no trouble finding the right terminal. Maybe it was good planning on their daughter’s part and the fact that their daughter was driving made all the difference. They parked and got Susie Marie through the check-in process with only one slight hiccup. The TSA lady had to run the wand over Leonard several times. He said he didn’t remember to tell her he had a hip replacement, but I suspected he wasn’t as forgetful as he said. 

What with Leonard having to strip down to his skivvies and go through the x-ray machine twice, they didn’t have long to wait before Sally Marie was allowed to board first along with the first class people and the soldiers in uniform. 

Although Wanda June had gotten together a bag of snacks and few toys to entertain her, they didn’t allow the food to get past the TSA inspector. Maybe she thought she deserved it after having to spend so long with Leonard. The game pad they rented from the airline and the unlimited snacks provided for children flying alone was enough to keep Sally Marie happy. 

Because they were escorting a child, Wanda June and company were required to stay in the terminal until the plane had left the ground. With thirty minutes to kill Wanda June and her daughter went into one of the stores to look around. Leonard stayed behind watching the crowd. 

When they came out, Leonard was visiting with a handsome older man with a crop of white hair and broad shoulders. “That’s James Brolin,” their daughter whispered from behind her mother. “You mean Barbra’s husband … the movie star?” They circled Leonard for a better look, taking a few sneaky pictures. Of course, their prey noticed their interest and smiled.

Returning the smile and using her best southern belle voice, Wanda June asked him if he would mind if they took a picture with him. “Of course,” he said and stood up. Taller, and holding the most beautiful leather bag they’d ever seen, he posed with them.

He asked for their names and wished them a good afternoon. As he walked away, their daughter said, “We really like your new show.” Wanda June had never seen it, but was sure she would have enjoyed it. She started to say something about telling “Barbra Streisand” hello, but he was on his way to the VIP room, and they’d kept him long enough. 

Before they got word that the plane had safely lifted off, Wanda June had called me and three other friends. Their daughter had posted the pictures on Facebook, and Leonard had finally figured out who they were talking about. “Oh, that young guy on Marcus Welby, M.D.”

They drove home in a cloud of celebrity. By the time they got home, the social media was alive with comments. One comment was from their daughter in New York, who had picked up Sally Marie, and wanted them to know she was safe … “and by the way, that wasn’t James Brolin, that was Barry Bostwick. Oh well, he was a movie star.