encounter in an elevator at the Waldorf Astoria

We were in New York two weeks ago visiting our daughter, Marissa, who currently resides and works there. As an activity suggested by Marissa, we booked a walking tour of the Waldorf Astoria followed by High Tea.

During the tour, the guide had our group of 15 split into separate groups as we rode the small elevators from floor to floor. As she recounted the glorious history of the hotel, she mentioned past and present residents that included such illustrious celebrities as Frank Sinatra, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and most currently, Martin Scorsese. She escorted us to another elevator to tour yet another floor and as the doors opened, there stood Martin Scorsese in the back of the elevator hidden behind an unsuspecting couple. I pushed my wife into the elevator and jumped in, followed by three other members of our entourage who were also unaware of the identity of the short man in the back corner of the elevator.

As the doors closed, I turned and looked directly at Mr. Scorsese and exclaimed, "Wow! We are in the company of genius." This prompted the entire group to turn around to identify the object of my statement. There was a brief moment of awkward silence just prior to their recognition. Scorsese responded in kind by looking behind him at the same instant as the rest of the occupants of the elevator. Then, as if realization slowly overtook him, he looked back at me, and pointed to himself as if to say, "Oh, you mean ME!"

He smiled, (and may have chuckled) and responded simply, "Thank you, thank you."

I couldn't resist, continuing, ". . . and I'm just talking about your acting in the American Express commercial." He laughed and said, "Yes, it IS getting a lot of play . . . "

And with that, the elevator doors opened and we all reluctantly departed for our fourth floor stop (except for that same unsuspecting couple who originally obscured him from public sight), as Martin Scorsese said, "Good-bye."