The Curious Case of The Man on the Plane

Hola,

So when I was 15 years old I discovered the Sherlock Holmes mysteries in print. That's a qualification that must be made, because when I was...uh, younger than 15, my mom and I would watch the television series from Granada Television in the UK shown on A&E on Monday nights. I was entranced, mainly because Jeremy Brett sold Sherlock Holmes so well. So for my 15th birthday they got me all 60 Sherlock Holmes stories in one volume and it's still on the top shelf of the bookcase.

Last Wednesday on the Plane Ride What Almost Wasn't, there was a guy sitting next to me - this is the same guy of the "Only Guy on the Plane Bigger Than Me" fame, who kept farting into the bottom of his seat, so that whenever he moved - which was often - stale fart would waft up to the higher elevations of the cabin. Anyhow, this Rumblebuffin was delicately holding Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, he of the Da Vinci Code - "I believe it. No wait, it's just a novel, no, yes, I believe this" book. Both books are entertaining, I like Angels & Demons better, but to each his own. I refuse to let it influence my theology, because my theology will not be swayed by Opie and the guy from Joe Versus the Volcano.

So in the time that we were sitting on the runway - post-headphones slamming into the plane - I got started on a book I read that day called "God Save The Fan." It's a quick and easy read, and I had just been reading a book on the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, so quick and easy was welcome. God Save the Fan is written by Will Leitch, who started Deadspin.com. But this is off the point (read that book, especially if you hate ESPN). So I'm reading page after page, and the Rumblebuffin is delicately touching Angels & Demons.

He's reading the ISBN numbers. He's reading the back cover. He's reading the About the Author. Basically, he's reading everything BUT Angels & Demons. And it occurred to me that while he desperately wanted to read the book, he simply couldn't. The same way that I have read 57 of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, intentionally leaving three mysteries unread: The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist, The Adventure of the Bruce-Pardington Plans, and of course, His Last Bow. Once I read these three stories, there will be no more Sherlock Holmes to read. And I can't have that. So I will deny myself the pleasure of How It All Ends because I don't want it to all end.

Same as The Rumblebuffin who probably is trying to memorize how many printings of Angels & Demons have been issued.