(Evan with a REAL pilot)
Star Struck
Article by
Brenda Newton
Anyone who knows Evan knows Evan loves flying. When he isn't flying, he is thinking and dreaming about it. Because aviation consumes him, Evan tends to talk about it a lot. So when Evan was rendered speechless when asked about flying, that is news worth sharing!
Our friend, Kim, has a sister married to an Air Force pilot. Anytime Evan sees Kim he asks about the brother-in-law: what is he flying now? Evan was awestruck when he learned that he was a navigator on the B1 that went after Saddam at the start of the second Gulf War. Oooo, a real pilot. Over Memorial Day weekend, Kim was getting married. Generally, I have to entice Evan with the prospect of an open bar to go to these events with me, but not this time. Evan got gussied up in his tux without any coaxing. At the wedding, we ran into Christine, Kim's sister, in the vestibule and Evan quickly asked if her husband was in attendance. Yes, he was here somewhere. When we were waiting to watch Kim and Eric, the happy newlyweds, depart in their antique car, Evan and I were trying to remember the names of the other family we just met: "Tim is the brother and Mark...Mark is Christine's husband." Our muttering had a response, "I'm Mark." It was as if the heavens parted and beamed a spotlight on a fit, all-American beau with eyes glistening and a warm, friendly smile; he was the Air Force pilot. We introduced ourselves and I informed Mark that Evan wanted to meet him because Evan loves to fly. Mark informed us that he is now piloting a C17 cargo jet. He then turned to Evan and said, "So, how do you enjoy flying?" Then it happened. Silence.
I looked at Evan and he was flushed and began to stammer. He was so awestruck he wasn't prepared to talk. I have never seen Evan at a loss for words when talking about flying. I'm sure it was because Evan wanted to know all about Mark's flying experiences in bombers and jets and not discuss flying a 152. As it turns out, Mark wants to get a float plane endorsement, something Evan already has! (As it also turns out, Evan wants to do everything Mark does.)
I certainly got my chuckles out of seeing Evan star struck. So when I had the opportunity at the wedding reception to forever memorialize the event, I took the photo of Evan with his star, Mark:
(Evan with a REAL pilot)
Later in the evening when sharing the stories of the wedding with my family, my aunt ribbed Evan if he was going to invite Mark to Smith Field so that Mark could watch him do some take-off. Then my sister took two star shaped baby-teethers and put them over her eyes and asked if that is what Evan looked like when he met Mark. As I started with, anyone who knows Evan knows Evan loves flying and loves talking about it, most of the time.
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