A long trip to Iran was about to come to an end.  I was delighted to be coming home to my family in the U.S.  The flight out of Tehran was scheduled for 9:00 AM and I left my friend’s home with whom I was staying at 4:00 AM.  They warn you to be at the Ayatollah Khomeini Airport three hours before your departure time. Given the mess of a traffic you will encounter in Tehran, you can never leave home early enough to feel safe that you’ll make your flight.  Given all my recent travels overseas I had accumulated enough mileage to upgrade to the first class—a huge relief when you’re traveling long distances. 

I got through the security, the check in, and the immigration quickly and headed down to the First Class Lounge.  There I had a cup of tea and began reading the morning paper, when a noisy group of people walked in – obviously foreigners given the way the women in the group struggled to keep their head covers on.   I ignored them and looked down at the newspaper and saw a picture of Annette Bening and a group of people from the Academy Awards, including Sid Ganis, the president, who had traveled to Iran.  The paper said the group was asked to apologize on behalf of the movie industry for the way Hollywood had been portraying Iranians in movies like 300, and The Wrestler.  Wow!  Annette Bening in Iran, I thought to myself.  I looked up and suddenly noticed a cheerful, beautiful, blond lady walking toward the snack bar, happy, carefree and relaxed, talking to the person who was walking along side of her, smiling, moving her arms—great energy for someone who like me must have woken up in the wee hours of the morning to make the damn flight!  Wow, the Academy Award wining Annette Bening and Alfre Woodard, one of the most underrated actors of all time!  Both their pictures were in the paper in front of me.  The ladies checked out the meager snack bar counter, and settled for a cup of coffee.  I have to admit, I felt a little giddy being in the same room with an Oscar winning actor, but I decided to rise above my giddiness and pretend like I hadn’t noticed her.  I buried my head back in the paper.

The announcement to board came soon after and I headed up to my gate.  On the way out I threw an inconspicuous glance toward the Oscar recipient and the underrated actor and walked up the steps.  They, of course, didn’t and had no reason to notice a humble individual like me. 

In Iran traveling in the first class doesn’t mean much, and they don’t board by rows.  I think, and I don’t mean this in a malicious way, we Iranians have an aversion to order, and an acute affinity toward chaos.  So when boarding a plane, we all get in the same line, and try to get on at the same time.  If someone pushes us or cuts in front of us, we don’t get mad—we just push back and try to get in front of someone else.  We’re a pretty peace loving nation in that way.