Ipse Dixit: Excellent Seats—A Brief Encounter With a Father

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Publication year: 2022

Ipse Dixit: Excellent Seats—A Brief Encounter With a Father

We were in New York so that I could attend a seminar—but really so that we could go to a few plays and see New York City all decked out for Christmas. We were in an extremely good mood. The plays we had seen were excellent, the restaurants were great, and the weather was unusually warm.

On our third night we were attending a play. We had excellent seats. We didn't realize until later just how excellent our seats were. Nothing was out of the ordinary. We got there early, sat down, and read the playbill.

Shortly after we arrived, a nice couple about our age sat in the seats next to us. They were very pleasant, and we struck up a conversation with them, waiting for the show to start. The man sat closest to us, so he was the one with whom we spoke. They were from Houston. When they found out we were from Baton Rouge they told us that they are friends of Coach Nick Saban and wished us well in the Sugar Bowl.

Our conversation naturally turned to the usual "So what are y'all doing in New York?"

We were as ill-prepared for his answer as he was for our question.

He said, hesitatingly, "We've been in New York since September 11th. Our daughter was in the plane that went down in Pennsylvania,"

(Silence)

What do you say now? You have to say something.

(More silence)

Finally, "Were you able to speak to her?"

"She spoke to her husband, said goodbye, then she lent her phone to the others on the plane so that they could tell their families goodbye."

(Silence)

What do you say now?

(Silence)

What can you say?

(More Silence)

So I sat there—inches away from a very nice man who was in so much pain I could feel it. He said nothing, I said nothing, but we both spoke volumes. There was so much emotion in the air you could cut it with a knife. I felt so sad for him, but I could offer him nothing. I'm sure he...