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My Brush with Greatness
1. Mid `70's in
college at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
One of my activities was coordinating guest speakers for a social
science program.
I had the pleasure of picking up Hunter S Thompson at the local
airport, driving him
to campus for his speech, and driving him back. An articulate,
fascinating man who
was able to consume--and share--an inordinate amount of licit and
illicit substances
during his 5 hours in Carbondale.
2. Late `90's. Working for
a wine supplier. My Virginia distributor asked me to supply
wines for an event that Bruce Hornsby hosted at his home every
year. I agreed to do so,
only if I was able to attend the event. The distributor was
cool with that. We drove down
smaller and smaller country roads until we made a left turn into the
driveway of a palatial mansion.
Spending some time with Bruce in his home studio was amazing.
He's a gracious, charming man.
3. Spring, 2002. Same
job. I traveled enough on Delta to fly first class. Flying
from Ft. Lauderdale
to Atlanta, and Mackenzie Phillips sat down next to me. She had
been performing in a small theater
in Lauderdale. When I told her I was in the wine business, she
emphatically stated she didn't do
alcohol anymore. When we got off the plane in Atlanta, she zoomed
right to the smoking lounge.
4. December 26, 2006.
Returning to south Florida from Phoenix, sitting in an aisle seat on
a Delta flight. Charles Barkley sits in my row on the other side
of the aisle. He's one of the
biggest humans I have ever encountered. We nod at each other, and
engage in pre-flight small talk.
Throughout the flight, there are people approaching him asking for
autographs, and he is pleasant
and kind to everyone who seeks him.
Paul in Boca