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Pamela

I attempt to teach high school English to the unwilling.

I am approximately 35....ok, for sure 35 years old, with two beautiful spawn, ages 3 (drama daughter) and 5 (little tank), and a magnificant husband. I teach high school English, and have supposedly maintained my sanity in the process. I enjoy reading, lots of music, traveling and wine. That sounde...

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Your Famous Person Story

It's Time to Tell It!

Spurred on by a radio spot I heard on the way to school a couple of days ago, I asked my students what famous person, dead or alive, they would choose to have lunch with, and then to explain their answer in a brief journal. Holy moly. I’m no Einstein, but damn. I was hoping for a Mandela here, an Angelou there, you know, someone with some real  chops! I got  a little T-Pain, a lot of LeBron James, OJ Simpson (I didn’t know they’d ever HEARD of OJ Simpson), Tupac, and various other individuals that have been accused of, or arrested for murder, domestic abuse, assault, or that have managed to put a round ball through a round hole to the tune of 10 gazillion dollars a year, without contributing a dime to a third world country.

Now, even I have stories to tell, and I’ve met a couple of celebs in my lifetime. These are moments people of a certain caliber will not ever think of or remember, but for peons like us, it is the stuff tales to grandchildren are made of.  Before I became a teacher, in the years BC (before children), I was a make-up artist/wardrobe stylist for various magazines, commercials, and even a movie or two, like one really bad National Lampoon’s fiasco. During this time I had the opportunity to meet Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Wuhl, Jon Bon Jovi, Carey Elwes, Estella Warren, Nora Dunn, as well as “Bud” from “Married with Children”...no, really.I have also run into Michael Stipe while shopping in Athens, and shook hands with Ted Turner, Jane Fonda, and Tom Selleck (Go MAGNUM, P.I.!) at a National League playoff game in Atlanta. Being a tomboy and a sports fan, I’ve even met, and had a conversation with Michael Jordan (playing baseball Michael Jordan, he DID play baseball, you know), and for a second, as I was preparing to share this information with my class, I felt COOL. I couldn’t WAIT to share this “famous person” story with my students. You would’ve thought I had a chicken hanging out of my nose the way they looked at me....sort of like, okay, old lady standing in front of us with a chicken hanging out of her nose, what’s the big freakin’ deal?!

To wrap this business up, I guess the word “famous” to me, is, in my advanced age, synonymous with “accomplished.” Someone I wouldn’t mind my daughter wanting to emulate, not just someone dumb enough to wrap a giant python around her naked neck to attract viewers dazed and confused by the tube.

So, I’m curious. Have you met a famous person? Did it change the way you view celebrity? Choose a lunch partner, dead or alive, but famous nonetheless..... I’m interested.