The Assistant

Has anyone seen “Up in the Air”?

The Boy and I went to see it in theaters and loved it, so I was overly excited when The Actress got a screener DVD in the mail this week. (Best perk of living with a SAG member, indeed.)

It’s a great movie that really hits at the heart of where our country is today. It’s filled with economic woes and tears and pain, and yet somehow leaves you walking out of the theatre with a new sense of purpose. Quite a feat for a film all about firing people.

If you’ve seen it, you probably don’t even remember my favorite scene. I couldn’t even find it on YouTube.

As Ryan (George Clooney’s character) races through the airport, he calls in to his assistant. (His name is Kevin, but you wouldn’t know that – I had to IMDB it.) Ryan’s calling to check in – and confirm the details on his Hertz rental car.

Without missing a beat Kevin informs him that yes, he has talked to Hertz, reminded them of his “super-duper high executive platinum Hertz Gold Club membership,” and that they’ll do anything possible to make sure he gets his blue Sebring. Oh, and his sister called but don’t worry – he told her that even Kevin didn’t know where Ryan was. Psh, like that would ever happen.

Welcome to my life.

My job is Kevin’s job. In fact, almost every twenty-something dipping their toes into the working world for the first time starts out as an assistant. To the outside world you don’t have a name, don’t have a face – just a cell phone and an email address accessible to The Boss 24-7. You book travel, mail Christmas cards, keep secrets and happily sit on hold for hours with Hertz Gold Club. You do the jobs The Boss doesn’t even remember need to be done. This is my world.

So I can empathize with “Kevin,” and chuckled about their exchange even after the movie had ended. Just today I received such a call, and before The Boss had time to hang up the phone I was already connected to American’s Executive Platinum desk, switching The Boss’s flight and firmly requesting his upgrade be transferred.

He was resting comfortably in first class before I even broke for lunch.