I believe...Part 1

I believe that everything happens for a reason.

As I waited for a train this evening to join my girlfriends for our first official supper club, sweat beads dripping down my back (Ummm...EWE!), praying for an air-conditioned train to come soon, I had a fleeting thought that I was probably waiting for a reason. The thought quickly escaped my mind as another sweat bead rolled down my neck. (Seriously, I sweat like a boy! GROSS! Thank goodness I am married, otherwise no one would have me! HA!)

The train finally arrived and it was PACKED. Oye! "OK," I told myself, "Be a New Yorker, suck it up and just cram yourself in there." So, I tucked my purse under my arm and shoved my way through the doors and into the aluminum car full of people. Despite the fact that we were all crammed in there like sardines and I wasn't the only one sweating...thank goodness...there didn't seem to be any foul odors. Phew! A few stops later, a really tall guy got on the train and stood beside me. I was reminded of a commercial shoot I did for my previous agency while in Charlotte, NC for the Charlotte Bobcats (NBA team) staring Emeka Okafor.

Thought bubble: The campaign was titled "Okafor in '04." (OH. EM. GEE! That was 6 years ago!!!) Okafor had recently graduated from college and the pro teams were vying for his attention. In the end, Charlotte drafted him and he became a Bobcat. I aided in the commercial shoot for a half a second and got to stand beside the rising star. I barely came up to his armpit. He's a basketball player, of course he's going to be tall.

Back to the train: I wasn't standing beside Emeka Okafor, but wait a second! He was standing one person away from me! WEIRD! I tried to be polite and not call him out on the uber crowded train. I was giddy. No one else noticed who he was. Seriously. There were other guys on the train who must've known who is was! He got off the train a couple stops later and I had to say something. This was all I could think of, "Hi. Aren't you Emeka Okafor. " He said, "Yeah. " I said, "I thought so. I'm from Charlotte." He ended with, "OH! Cool! Ok, see ya. "

I stood there on the train super excited to tell someone and wondered if anyone in New York would really care. Nope. Not really. Oh well. My Hero was really excited to hear my tale of two cities. He also made my day by sending me this picture...

Do you see the Raymond Felton jersey??? EEEEK! So exciting!!!! It's official! My favorite basketball player is no longer a Charlotte Bobcat. He's a New York Knick!!! He missed me and moved to New York. Yep, that's what I'm gonna tell myself.

Lesson learned: I worked for my last agency to work on the Emeka Okafor commercial to learn who Okafor is to one day recognize him on my train tonight, but I wouldn't have been on that train if I hadn't waited for SO long. Having Ray-Ray Felton come to New York is just icing on the cake!