Actor Michael B. Jordan just watched me play Tetris on the Manhattan-bound 2 train for a full 10 minutes.
That’s right—Michael B. Jordan, from Pastor Brown and Creed II.
He boarded at Franklin Avenue, at which point I had already accrued 130,000 points (a score most players never reach, but I typically get to within 30 seconds).
He stood with his back to the subway doors, right next to where I was sitting, giving him a clear view of my phone’s screen.
From Franklin Avenue until the Atlantic Avenue stop, where we both exited the train, he watched me break the Tetris world record, which is actually a daily occurrence for me, so though it was unremarkable to my eyes, it blew Michael B. Jordan’s mind.
When I stood up to exit the train, he made direct eye contact with me, smiled, and gave a nod of approval, almost as if to say, “hey—I’m proud of you. You’re a hell of a Tetris player.”
I gave a smile and nod of approval back, as if to say, “thanks, man—I appreciate it. And though I know exactly who you are and could ask for a selfie right now, I won’t call attention to you, because even though you’re a celebrity, you don’t deserve to be constantly bombarded by paparazzis.”
Then, he gave another smile as he looked out the subway doors contemplatively, as if he were pondering, “this kid’s the MAN. How can someone be so cool? I love this kid. I’m proud of him. I wish he was my son…”
I debated going for a hug, but it wasn’t necessary—we hugged using our non-verbal words in the form of our facial expressions.
Hope to see you again, friend. XOXO.
Until next time,
Michael J. Erickson, CEO & Co-Founder
