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French Connection

Although this title would be cheesy for a blog about hosting a French foreign exchange student last month, it's apropos to the night I took him to the airport and connected with a soldier and his family. Since our student was an unaccompanied minor, I got special clearance last night (I'm used to that when I impersonate Sarah) to go all the way to the gate. It was there the drama unfolded. A very distraught serviceman was pleading with the agent to let him on a plane parked within view. But the door had closed. There was no hope. He kept holding out hope. The agent kept repeating the door thing. He kept repeating he had been hop scotching across the country trying to get to Alaska (very sarah). But what caught my eye wasn't his boisterous exchange, it was his wife and two babies on the sidelines. Mom was trying to calm a screaming 3 month old. I made my way over and offered to hold the baby while she mixed formula at the same time as corralling her 2 year old. She went to the bathroom. The infant began to calm. Finally the agent got them assistance to go to the other end of the airport to ticketing and get a plan. I gave them my cell phone number and said good-bye.

Meanwhile the flight crew arrived for my student's plane. I introduced him to one the flight attendants and to my surprise this particular (I should say spectacular) male flight attendant named Paul began conversing in French! Safe in the hands of this new connection, I watched him board and left for home. You guessed it. My cell phone rang. It was the quiet wife explaining they were to sleep in the airport or pay for a room. You guessed right again. They came to my house. We fed them, washed the baby's clothes, made them comfortable, and drove them back this morning by 7 for a 9am flight. Whenever I see someone in the military I say, "Thank you for serving." Thanks to this connection I was able to really demonstrate my thanks. Our student may have been our first French connection, but this family was our French connection connection.

Oh, and one more chance meeting at that gate. I met a director named Matt and producer named Josh traveling back to L.A. from a business trip. We talked about fun Sarah applications to their next project. I hope that leads to a future blog and becomes my French Connection connection connection.