Knockout and Ovation in Queens

I was visiting my buddy in Queens a couple of days ago. I hadn’t seen this guy in forty years. He introduced me to his partner, DeLord. She appeared very friendly and forthcoming. The conversation was easy as if my friend Kev and I were talking the day after the last time we saw each other 40 years ago. We had a lot to catch up on and only a few hours to do so. I was traveling with my brother Deke who is a skilled icebreaker but on this occasion there was little ice to break..We all got along well as we skimmed and shorthanded through forty years from subject to subject.

Then Deke introduced an interesting question into the mix “have you ever walked out on a movie because you couldn’t stand it.”

A moment of silence as we each pondered the question.

DeLord broke the silence.

“i walked out of one of the Star Wars movies and I’ve never been back to another one.”

“which one was it?’ Deke asked.

‘”“i don’t know or care” responded DeLord.

“And the movie you walked out on was the ONLY Star Wars movie you’ve EVER seen?”

“Yup”

A moment passed.

I started to clap.

Deke started to clap.

We stood up.

A two man standing ovation.

DeLord smiled.

I think she understood that her answer was probably the greatest, most unexpected, most honest answer ever given to the question “Have you ever walked out on a movie?’ from a person we had never met who was the partner of a guy we hadn't seen or talked to in forty years.

It was a knockout.

We moved on to the next topic, whatever it was, at an even higher level of comfort, familiarity, tolerance and understanding.

A good question and an honest answer tend to have that effect.