Life’s Too Short – Make the Best of It!
By Faiza Zia Khan
Newport Beach, CA
In the light of the recent passing of Kobe Bryant (41) and his daughter Gianna Bryant (13) caused by the helicopter crash Sunday morning along with seven other passengers, I felt respectfully honoring the deceased would be the best way to commemorate their memory.
Now known as the “Calabasas Chopper Crash” details are emerging about the lives of the precious human cargo the doomed chopper carried. My son told me he knew of John Atobelli, the Orange Coast College (OCC) coach as he was a baseball legend on the college campus. He led OCC for 27 seasons and was named National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2019.
Out of nine passengers on board, eight were Newport Beach residents. The pilot Ara Zobayan was a resident of Huntington Beach, a neighboring beach city. Having such a major tragedy in my own backyard got me taking scope of how fragile life can be, and one never knows when would it be the last day that we walk this earth. There were candlelight vigils in Newport Beach, the place these eight called home. Personally, my interest in sports is so sparse that I never really can recognize a sports celebrity even if they are standing behind me at a grocery store check-out line. Although we shared the same Zip Code with Kobe Bryant and the other residents on board the chopper, the only time I had a barely existing run-in with Kobe Bryant was at the Marche Moderne Restaurant in Crystal Cove, Newport Beach. We waitlisted even though we had reservations for our turn to be seated for dinner to celebrate our son’s birthday. I stood oblivious to a celebrity presence when our son whispered in my ear, “Don’t look back Mom but Kobe Bryant with his family is standing right behind us.” I obliged and did not turn to look back at his request, just in case if I turned around I might turn I did not want to risk turning into a stone statue.
Even if I would have spotted him on my own it would not have registered in my brain to know that a mega celebrity was there. The entire family had a very unassuming demeanor and they gelled in well with the local crowd at this upscale restaurant without any air of superiority or attitude around them. They patiently waited their turn like ordinary patrons of the restaurant without making a big deal about the wait time. As we were ushered to our table I heard the hostess apologize to him and he responded, “Oh don’t worry about it, our fault, we did not make reservations.”
I remember in retrospect I read an interview on why he preferred to live in Orange County, CA after his retirement as opposed to the LA County where all other celebrities resided. He said the OC residents let him be a normal person. He was not mobbed or followed or photographed. People in restaurants recognized him but left him alone to continue with his activities. He said he could tell who the original OC residents were as they possibly almost never gave him a second glance after recognizing him and/or exchanged quick pleasantries to move away.
No cameras or phones came out and no one inconspicuously videoed him as he wheeled out his shopping cart from local grocery stores. It was mostly the non-OC residents who tried to take his photos, engage in unnecessary conversations, stall him, mob him, or ask for autographs. He had said it is not that he did not want to, but he was either running late or was on his way for an appointment. However, I heard he was always gracious and apologized that he did not have time before moving forward. A cashier I know through numerous shopping trips at our local Bristol Farms in Corona Del Mar plaza said Bryant frequented this store many times. He went in and out as he pleased and locals left him alone.
For those unfamiliar with the scenic shoreline of the resident city victims of the Calabasas Chopper Crash called home I will provide some facts for you. The City of Newport Beach in Orange County, California has an average household income of $198,726. It is the most affluent community in the US, according to a latest survey. This elite beach city beat out 419 other US communities with populations over 75,000 to lead in the country’s affluent line up. It is a seaside city with a population of over 86,688. The median real estate house cost is $2,395,000 as opposed to an average of $552,000 in the state of California.
The City of Newport Beach works very hard to keep its exclusive status silently. The residents of beach front properties do not want street lights to ensure no encroachers stay there after dark. Gated, glass fenced, and concierged housing communities are the norm. No Walmart, Target, Kohl’s or mainstream retailers are allowed to open stores or outlets here to keep the masses away. People leave their front doors unlocked and most drive cars with a price tag of $100K minimum. It is common to see celebrities or pseudo-celebrities frequenting the elitist Fashion Island Mall where the valet service of the Canaletto Restaurant is running off their feet to park the endless lineup of custom wrapped Bugattis, Mclarens, Rolls Royce’s and the such at any hour of any given day. Newport Beach encompasses an area of 52.95 square miles, of which 29.17 are water. Yet, despite its high price tag Newport Beach got its name simply because it was a “new” port.
What of flashy cars and designer access that is taking away within a blink of any eye. Despite all the exclusively the City of Newport Beach lost its valuable citizens, families torn apart, and hearts of millions broken. That is why my friends, life is a beautiful gift. Make the most of it with your loved ones and live it to the fullest.
(Faiza Zia Khan holds a Master’s in Journalism degree from the University of British Columbia, Canada. She has collaborated with news media outlets, including Global Nationa,l and actively volunteers for several community investment projects for the Red Cross, United Way and the Breast Cancer Foundation)
