Earlier this week, I was on a flight from Greensboro to Chicago. I boarded the flight, got myself settled, and then heard my name called. I was being upgraded to first class.
One of the perks of flying a lot is that the airlines try to reward those people who use their services on a regular basis, and in my case, a frequent basis.
Heading up to first class, I knew the guy who was going to be sitting next to me. He was Chris Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties, and son of the late Bobby Kennedy.
I’m usually pretty comfortable in most situations, but this was different. He was a Kennedy, the closest thing we have in our country to a royal family. What could I possibly have to offer in conversation with him?
Well, it turns out, quite a lot. Totally inquisitive, he wanted to know everything, how I grew up, where I lived, what I did, even things I engineered. His eyes locked in, never wavering, always engaged.
After being told I grew up on a turkey farm, he wanted to know if I thought turkeys could survive on his family’s island vacation retreat.
Talk about a guy totally comfortable in his own skin, Chris Kennedy is it. I see a lot of people who land in successful situations through inheritance, who think of themselves as entitled and privileged. I sensed none of that in him.
At the end of the flight, he asked for my card and promised he would stay in touch.
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