*NSYNC + 13 Year-Old Me + An Angel

Family vacation.

In my early teens, my father had a questionably luxurious job which allowed him to travel for work. As he loved his family more than anything, this gave us the grand privilege of tagging along a few times. (We were homeschooled)

This particular trip was one of note. Not only did we leave our 3,000-person cow town in central Virginia to visit the Big Apple, but we stayed at the Marriot Marquis right in the middle of Times Square. This was a reality beyond belief, and a bit intimidating as well.

So as the title states, I was 13. As most 13 year-olds are, I was also shockingly prone to embarrassment. I won’t divulge the exact date, but to give you an idea, *NSYNC was at MTV studios in Times Square. The already bustling tourist block was overwhelmed with throngs of screaming girls. I was here for it.

We had a reservation at Carmine’s that evening; a staple, family-style Italian restaurant just down the way. The Maitre D’ casually mentioned that the members of the boy band “In Syncopation” would be dining there as well. I still question why he chose to mention it to us, The Manhattan Hillbillies, and whether it was correct at all.

True or not, this tidbit put a very stressful tinge on the evening. What would Justin Timberlake think of my shiny silver, zip off cargo pants and my tight orange JNCO t-shirt?! I would never admit it to anyone, other than the occasional crush I had, but I was HUGE fan.

It was early in our dinner service and everything was going splendidly. Our waiter was warm and professional, and even though this was my first experience at a fancy restaurant, I felt proud of how I conducted myself. I ordered an “iced tea, unsweetened” without pause, blissfully unaware of the calamity that was to come.

Breadsticks and salads arrived at the table. My father ordered some crispy Calamari with marinara to make us feel more exotic. He only told my mother it was squid after she had consumed three rubbery rings. Her face scrunched up in disgust, but then she smiled begrudgingly. While she never ordered them again, she did admit that they weren’t “that bad”.

This was a quality family event. One that would surely become a fond memory. Though as far as memories go, sometimes our strongest are forged by unfortunate events.

I was laughing with my family, making fun of the opera music, when the unthinkable happened. My right forearm slid my precious (not to mention, properly ordered) iced tea off the edge of the table.

In those first few seconds, I cannot convey to you in words the flurry of emotions that went through my mind. Was everyone staring at me? Had the tea splashed on my fancy silver pants? Justin Timberlake would be so disgusted. He would NEVER discover me now!

The embarrassment was the worst I recall experiencing in my lifetime.

I stood up. “We have to go! We have to go now!” I shout whispered to my family.

My dad kindly, but firmly, told me to sit down and relax. The only thing anyone had noticed was my reaction and not the blunder itself. Alas, I still felt as if I was naked with a million jeering eyes on me.

I took a deep breath, and tried to center myself. The waiters had already replaced my glass and napkin during my minute-long, catastrophic demise, as if it was nothing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a woman at a neighboring table staring intently at me. I sheepishly raised my head to look at her. She was beautiful and elegant; an angel. This furthered my humiliation for a moment. She saw into my soul, and like some cosmic empathetic vacuum, she knew what I was feeling. She saw me. I couldn’t look away.

The woman’s eyes left mine as she glanced at the full goblet of red wine before her. To my shock, this complete stranger back-handed the glass with surprising force and vexation onto the floor. It was a serious ordeal; a blood-colored sacrifice. The spray pattern left behind would make Dexter Morgan proud. She raised herself from her seat and in the most attention-seeking way she could muster, she uttered, “Oh silly me! I can’t believe I’ve spilled my wine! I am so, so sorry.”

As the waiters scrambled to change her table cloth and replace the glass, this savior and goddess of a woman turned to me, and winked.

At this time in my life, I never imagined that I would dedicate my life to the service industry. I have since served tens of thousands of meals and glasses of wine to stressed businessmen and depleted parents. Many embarrassment prone children have sat at my tables, and I have always endeavored to be as strong a force of relief and care.

This woman has shaped my entire philosophy on hospitality. Her actions that day taught me that we should draw from our strength, and strive to help others through all the trials that life offers. These trials can be as devastating as a world-shattering tragedy, or as seemingly mundane as a bright red 13 year-old, who spilled his iced tea in a crowded restaurant.

If I met her today, I would order the finest bottle of red, and thank her. She didn’t know it at the time, but her small act of kindness shaped my entire life.

I’m still waiting to be picked up by Justin Timberlake.