For example, back in the late ’80′s a little known actor was filming a largely unseen movie about a cop dog. This actor, I think he had a brother who was on some late night comedy show and may have been in a movie about blues music, anyway, he took a break from the set while they were filming a seen he wasn’t in. He was riding his bike around casually and came by and said, “Hello, how’s it going?” And I, being the person who didn’t want to be the gushing, annoying celebrity stalker, said, “Fine, thanks. How are you?” He said he was fine, then rode off. Of course, there’s no way I can prove any of this because I DIDN’T ASK FOR AN AUTOGRAPH OR PICTURE WITH HIM. But hey, I didn’t annoy him.

It’s happened a few other times in the past. Just run into someone with a little fame behind them and treat them like an everyday Joe. It appears to be how I roll. Most recently, on my business trip to Buffalo, I was setting up the tradeshow booth I was to man when a few people happened by. The man, who was in a motorized cart, looked awfully familiar, but I couldn’t place him. He was very nice, said hi and asked how I was. I was nice back, racking my brains… was this someone I knew? Should I know his name? Will he expect me to know something about him and where he works?

It was driving me insane.

Later, when my co-worker came to help, I asked if she knew who the man was. She said, “Oh, he’s some celebrity chef. Paul something. I didn’t recognize his name, though.” A dull glow of recognition started in my own brain, but I still wasn’t sure. I mean, it couldn’t be HIM, everyone knows who Paul Prudhomme is, right?

WRONG

It was Paul Prudhomme, as I was to find out later. GAH! And it has now happened again. Because you know damn well I didn’t go up to him later and say anything. Something about rolling and how I do it.

<sigh>

Skydeck, Willis Tower

Scrappy