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Aileen's version: The ballet performance of Cinderella was sold out because Julie Kent, a principal with the American Ballet Company, was retiring. I had a standing room ticket to see this performance because seats in the fifth ring section were about 2.5 times as much as the standing room ticket in the orchestra section. During the first intermission, Milton walked over with his Playbill in hand and a slightly blank look on his face. He asked me if I knew what was happening on stage. I opened up Playbill and read the description of the acts to him. I also mentioned that all the dancers and their profile were included in the Playbill. He then asked me, very innocently, "Why do the stepsisters look so awkward and gangly?" Laughing inside, I mentioned that the stepsisters were played by men that's why they look more masculine and uncoordinated than Cinderella, who was played by Julie Kent. It was a look of shock and surprise that I wished to have captured. After the show ended, Milton walked over again to where I was standing and started to chat me up some more. He mentioned that he was staying at the Yotel, which is a couple of blocks from where I was living. We ended up walking and talking for almost 20 street blocks. Milton’s version: I was invited to the ballet by the other pilot I was flying with. He had tickets in the balcony but helped me purchase a standing row ticket, perfect since I’d flown overnight and landed at JFK that morning. Standing next to my assigned row and number was the lovely Aileen. Growing up in the Midwest in a rural environment and having a largely military background, I was well-traveled but culturally unprepared for the ballet and the overall experience at Lincoln Center. Not a spoken word in the production, amazing and so beautiful. I must have looked overwhelmed and out of place in my black jacket with no tie. Aileen was so kind, gently explaining the production and helping me fully appreciate the experience and the beauty of the dance. She was so easy to talk to and absolutely radiant in her dress, winter coat, and stylish tall polkadot boots. I was captivated by her kindness and brilliance, how effortlessly she explained the ballet to a simple pilot like myself. Later, we talked, exchanged contacts, and walked home together for many blocks, finding so many things to discuss and discovering so much about each other. I returned often to NYC, and Aileen always planned the most fun and engaging adventures for the two of us to enjoy!