David Atella of Hinsdale, who says he is a big movie fan, answered these questions as he looked through the Hinsdale Public Library’s film DVD collection.
Q: How long have you lived in Hinsdale?
A: On and off since 1989.
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: Riverside, but I went to three different high schools in New York and California.
Q: Do you have a family?
A: I have three children and three grandchildren.
Q: What’s the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
A: “Sicario,” it’s sort of an action movie about drug wars and politics. And “The Sea Wolf,” it’s a movie from 1941 based on a Jack London novel.
Q: What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
A: Chris Hedges’ “Wages of Rebellion.” It’s nonfiction, a realistic look at the world we live in today.
Q: Where is the farthest you have traveled?
A: I was to Korea and Japan with the Air Force.
Q: What was your job in the Air Force?
A: I was part of the medical corps. I was a dental hygienist.
Q: Did you work as a dental hygienist after you were discharged?
A: No, I went to California State University, Los Angeles and got a degree in speech pathology. But I never worked as a speech pathologist. A job in the airline industry came up. Back then, the airline industry was glamorous and fun and easy. It’s not anymore. Now I try to take Amtrak as much as possible.
Q: How long did you work for the airlines?
A: Eighteen years, between American and United. I lost my job at United two days after 9/11. They jettisoned thousands of jobs after 9/11.
Q: Were you working on Sept. 11, 2001?
A: I was on a plane going from O’Hare to Denver. We took off at about 7 a.m. Supposedly, we were the last domestic flight that went to its scheduled destination that day.
Q: What did you do after United?
A: I was a one-to-one aid for a young man with autism, and I worked at a halfway house in Minnesota for guys getting out of the prison system.
Q: Do you still work?
A: I’m the caregiver for my 98-year-old mother.
Q: What is your pet peeve?
A: People who treat old people like they are invisible. When you are with old people a lot, which I am, you see they’re marginalized.
Shout Out is a weekly feature where we get to know and introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago. Check out more online at ChicagoTribune.com/ShoutOut.
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