HUMOR/THIS HAPPENED TO ME

A Possible Bill Gates Sighting at the Airport

Could it be the Microsoft founder-turned-billionaire philanthropist himself?

I am at a crowded domestic terminal of a major international airport with my family on a scorching summer day in the second year of a global pandemic.

We have just checked in our bags and have gone through the TSA PreCheck security checkpoint.

I look around me, relieved to see that almost everyone is not only masked again but that the majority of people are wearing their mask correctly over their nose and mouth.

However, I am perplexed when I spot several people wearing face masks with vents or exhalation valves and others with bandanas, both of which are not considered acceptable face coverings on airlines.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot someone who bears a striking resemblance to Bill Gates. He is dressed in a light pink long-sleeve button-down shirt and a pair of tan chinos. He is also wearing spectacles.

It is impossible to catch a proper glimpse of his face as he is wearing a black face mask.

When I mention it to my daughter, she merely laughs and declares that the probability that our fellow passenger is Bill Gates is so slim as to render it impossible.

“Why would Bill Gates fly commercial?” she retorts with a self-satisfied smirk.

I make a futile attempt to point him out to my daughter, but he has already disappeared with his carry-on bag among the sea of passengers.

Despite what my daughter says, I remain convinced that the passenger in question is none other than the Microsoft founder himself.

Within minutes, as we walk to our gate to board our flight, I spot him again. This time, he is dining solo at one of the airport cafes, completely unmasked.

I peer closely at him from afar, and my worst suspicions are confirmed. The man is, in fact, not Bill Gates at all, but merely another passenger. But I was so sure, I think to myself dejectedly.

It is nearly time to board our flight. I depart for the gate with my family with a sigh, remaining hopeful that we spot another celebrity in our midst eventually.

After all, I can still recall about twenty years ago when we had a Sarah Ferguson sighting at the airport.

Or, at the very least, it appeared to be her and her entourage. But I will leave that story for another day.

Have you ever seen a celebrity somewhere? Please share your thoughts in the comments.