Rachel, Airline Passenger, 27

By Chuck Ansbacher

Friday December 1, 2006

Rachel was sitting next to me during my flight from Chicago to North Carolina last Wednesday.

ONLY: What are you reading?
Rachel: This is the new Nicholas Sparks book.
ONLY: Is it good?
R: Oh my god it’s incredible. Did you see me bawling over here a couple minutes ago? I just love it. It’s just… well, I just love all of his books.
ONLY: Nicholas Sparks?
R: Yeah, I’ve read them all I’m pretty sure.
ONLY: I don’t think I’m familiar with his work.
R: No way. Are you sure?
ONLY: I dunno. What’s he written? Like, what’s his most famous book?
R: Well, “The Notebook” I guess. You must have heard of that. They made it into a movie a few years ago.
ONLY: Oh wait. Yeah. That was like the biggest chick flick of all time, right?
R: Ha ha. Do you think so?
ONLY: Christ, I have no idea. I haven’t seen it.
R: You aren’t from North Carolina, huh?
ONLY: No, I’m just going to visit family for Thanksgiving.
R: You know he’s from there.
ONLY: Who?
R: Nicholas Sparks. He lives in North Carolina. Lots of his books take place there too. Almost all of them I think.
ONLY: Well that’s pretty cool, I guess. Are you from North Carolina?
R: I’m from Raleigh, yeah. I live in Michigan now, but my parents still live there.
ONLY: So is it nice to read books that take place there? Makes you feel a bit closer to home?
R: That’s part of why I like them so much, definitely. But they’re about such great things. Lots of great love stories. Real heartbreaking stuff.
ONLY: Real chick flick stuff.
R: Well hey, is there anything so wrong with that? I’m a chick!
ONLY: I know, I know… I have a soft spot for Stepmom.
R: You shouldn’t tell people that.