Brushes with Greatness

When I was in high school, I was in Spanish class with a girl that made the U.S. Olympic Trials for Gymnastics. Her arms were like tree trunks.

My senior year, a local weatherman from the CBS affiliate joined our church. His closer connection with God did not lower the AZ temperatures.

During college, I saw Adam Sandler in a bar. I daresay he had partaken of the ganja.

Also during college, my windshield was broken by a member of the Brazilian National Soccer Team. They swear that a soccer ball, kicked at high velocity by a world-class player (training at NAU's high altitude training camp) could not break a windshield. Filthy Brazilian Liars.

My friend, Sunshine, partied with The Misfits, a punk band.

At the HORDE festival, I told Ben Folds that he put on a good show.

While teaching, one of my students showed me pictures of him posing with his family's friends: the members of REO Speedwagon.

Also while teaching, a student, whose mother worked for Canyon Ranch, (a fancy-pants resort) shared that Leonardo DiCaprio and Sharon Stone were "really nice" while they were in town filming, The Quick and the Dead. Apparently, though, Mike Myers's (now former) mother-in-law, Linda Richman, was a real bitch. Not at all like but-tah.

I worked at a summer camp with a man whose brother taught Kirsten Dunst. She was a cheerleader.

My sister-in-law, an occupational therapist, had a patient whose mother trained animals for movies. Thus, I held the kangaroo from an Avis commercial.

My friend's dad worked at a body shop and repaired James Brown's car. He also saw Smokey Robinson in a motel elevator. This man, apparently, has a direct line to Motown.

Another friend drank kamikazes with John Kennedy, Jr.

A student's father piloted Air Force One, and flew George Bush to Iraq for his surprise Thanksgiving Day Feast with the troops.

My aunt has a friend whose daughter works for Oprah.

Barack Obama spoke at my cousin's graduation ceremony.

A friend of mine saw the actor that plays John Locke at a Whole Foods on the Eastern Shore. She said, "I kept babbling to him about chutney."

About a year ago,  I found out that a friend of mine used to work with Sterling, the boy who played Young Benjamin Linus on  Lost.

One of the losers from Hell's Kitchen owns a restaurant a few miles from us.

And today, I saw President Clinton's former secretary, Betty Currie, buying bananas at Wal-Mart. 

Brushes with greatness, indeed. 

Your turn!

(PS--Yes, if you've been reading from way back, you're right. This is a slightly updated re-run!)