Rendezvous With the Famous

Ever wonder who you will meet next? Well, keep this quote in mind:

"Life is beautiful not because of the things we see or do. Life is beautiful because of the people we meet."

Simon Sinek

Have you ever met anyone who is/was considered “famous?” I have, and it was always a great experience. But you have to consider what the time frame is and just how famous the person is. Are they only icons who appeal to you or your age group (like Elvis when he appeared on the scene)? Or does the person have a universal or historical appeal? (Come to think of it, Elvis fits the bill on both categories.) Perhaps it is some person that seems famous to you for your very personal association with them or their influence on your life.

The very first person I met whom I considered “famous” was Richard Widmark, movie star. Oh yes, I had seen his movies and loved him because he was handsome and often a dashing hero. But the time we met I was under yet another part of his spell. You see he was visiting my little home town of Decatur and he came to raise money for the March of Dimes.

From a former post you might know that I had polio at age seven. By about age nine I had made it out of the bed and into a wheelchair. My Dad (the police officer) was the Chairman for our county March of Dimes campaign. So, when fund raising events or visits from celebrities took place he was always on the scene. And like a good sidekick I stuck close to him. I was also serving as an example of someone with this disease, a perfect case of one who might be helped by the dimes and dollars that poured in for the efforts to vanquish this particular epidemic.

And so we were informed that Richard Widmark was in town. Of course I put on my prettiest dress, combed what ended up being my frizzy hair, and went out to meet the star. He was quiet and kind and shook my hand in a gentle manner. There was no derring-do going on or cameras rolling, just a man taking care of other human beings. Yes, Mr. Widmark was most assuredly famous in my book.

By thirteen I was up and around and walking without braces or crutches when I met Dan Blocker. He came to Atlanta and specifically asked my uncle visit him. You see they served together in the Korean War, and were buddies like only a war can create. They slept in the same tent, and endured the same fighting and cold until they went their separate ways. Mr. Blocker became someone called “Hoss” on that show we came to know at Bonanza. He was a bear of a man, and when I shook his hand, mine disappeared. My younger cousin and I stood next to him and were totally dwarfed. Though our visit was short, we did have a few minutes of one on one talk with him. He seemed like the nicest man, and exuded true kindness. Another great meeting.

I also got to meet Alvan Cullom Gillem, Jr. at yet another fund raising event for the March of Dimes. He came from a family with a great military tradition. He served in World War I, but was stateside in World War II. He “assumed command of the United States Third Army in June 1947. When United States Third Army headquarters was moved from Atlanta, Georgia, to Fort McPherson in 1947, Gillem also assumed command of the post. In 1947 Gillem served as an assistant to General George C. Marshall on his Presidential mission to China. He then served as special assistant to the commander of the United States forces in Nanking, commander of the China Service Command in Shanghai, and later American Commissioner in Peking. Gillem retired from the army in August 1950 with the rank of lieutenant general.”* I knew him as the executive director of the National Foundation for the March of Dimes. Fort McPherson was later known as Fort Gillem. So you can see he was a pretty important historical figure, but I only found out how important when I read of him years later.

I also had occasion to meet Catherine Marshall LeSourd. She wrote A Man Called Peter, which made my alma mater, Agnes Scott College, famous. I was working at the college alumnae house when she visited once. We only spoke briefly, but she was truly a great lady. I have some precious books of hers and a book of prayers by her famous husband, Peter Marshall.

Not too long ago I served on the board of our county history center. What a great volunteer job that was. I especially loved the book fairs, and meeting all the folks who attended our events. You see, I am a huge talker and will listen to anyone’s story and tell a few of my own. Many of these people turned out in droves for the Atlanta Journal and Constitution Decatur Book Festival. In 2016 Mr. Pat Conroy, author, was the keynote speaker. I have seen rock stars that did not garner the attention and adoration that he did. His publicity people tried to “sneak” him into our facility (the beautiful old County Courthouse), but he would have none of it. One of my cohorts and I were manning a table and tried to get a peek at the gentleman author very discreetly. We were to call no attention to him and thus avoid a bottleneck of fans galore. But as he strode in and saw the two lady volunteers, he very cheerily came to our table and announced ever so clearly, “Pat Conroy, so happy to meet you,” and shook our hands. So I would say to you to work the meaningful, but menial jobs in life and watch the stars from the sidelines, it’s worth it.

But of all the people I met, one of my most serendipitous meetings took place with some Tuskegee Airmen. I know you have heard of these famous heroes. If not, here is an excerpt from History.com on them: “The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military aviators in the U. S. Army Air Corps (AAC), a precursor of the U.S. Air Force. Trained at the Tuskegee Army Air Field in Alabama, they flew more than 15,000 individual sorties in Europe and North Africa during World War II. Their impressive performance earned them more than 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, and helped encourage the eventual integration of the U.S. armed forces."** A friend who knew I was a total WWII fan, informed me that they would be meeting with guests at a local Sam’s Club . . . in about 45 minutes! Well, my husband shared the same love of all things WWII, so we dressed faster than we had ever dressed and zoomed to meet these heroes of ours. I think it was the most excited I ever was when meeting someone famous. They were the real deal, true heroes, men who actually made my very life possible. I was in awe of them and told them so and thanked them for their service. That meeting seemed to stand out from any other "famous" people I had met. These men were brave, they made history, they were world shakers to me. I doubt I shall ever meet anyone I admire quite like that.

Alas, I shall never be "famous" and hope earnestly to avoid that adjective "infamous." No, I am just a little gal from Decatur, GA. But anyone can run into someone famous, so go out there and start "meeting folks." Shake a few hands, tell these new friends how you feel about them. You will never regret it, for you will have perhaps touched greatness and made yourself not only part of humanity, but history as well.

* Wikipedia

** History.com

https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/tuskegee-airmen