I can't recall having seen anybody famous in a random situation. Quite frankly, I cannot think of very many people I would bother approaching if I did see them. I really don't care if Ralph Fiennes signs my Publix receipt or if Michael Stipe is polite to strangers or not. I'd be thrilled to see them, then would go about my life. I guess that makes me the best kind of fan from a celebrity standpoint! If I had a blog, though, I would likely mention it. ; - )

"Beautiful Girls" has been on TV lately. Great flick. I probably wouldn't have said hi, either, though I'd have wanted to.

I can't say hi to celebrities. Half of me doesn't want to bother them but the other half just turns into a scared little kid. As an adult, I tell myself that they're people just like me. Nothing special. This attitude of mine was shown for the lie it is when I almost literally ran into Buddy Guy at his bar. I completely froze and just stared at him. I mean, it's freaking Buddy Guy! The same thing happened when I had a chance to meet Bruce Campbell. My excuse was I didn't feel comfortable asking for autographs. But I didn't have to ask for an autograph. I couldn't just went up and shook his hand, thanking him for making me so happy over the years. I was just scared. Deep down I'll always be that ten year old kid dreaming about movie stars. But I think Timothy would have been flattered if you did say something like that to him. Who wouldn't?

He might be flattered, but he might equally be annoyed.

I met Ray Bradbury once. He was my favorite author at the time. I was in a play version of his Dandelion Wine, and he came to see it. All us cast people got to meet him. I was amazed when it was all said and done how UNamazing and UNinspiring it was. "Yep. Glad to meet you. Next!"

Being a celebrity is a job. So is working at the bookstore, but I've met some really interesting people working at the bookstore. I'm not just making that statement based on my experience with Ray Bradbury, but that is where my celebrity-worshipping ways started to fade. Now I think of them more like I would think of Mount Rushmore. It is cool enough to point at, and maybe take a picture. But I don't want to climb it.

Now let's get this straight: I did NOT want to climb Timothy Hutton. That's a damnable lie.

Actors and authors are very important to me, a lot more important than bookstore employees. I think it would be pretty silly to say otherwise if you really like books or movies. Wanting to meet them is not nearly the same thing as worshipping. I don't build shrines or write fan mail or claim that we're married. But if they are in a situation where they are signing books or shaking hands, I'm going to do it. If you want to look at it as a job, right then their job is to meet people and shake hands or sign books. After years of people thanking them for what they do, it probably doesn't mean anything to them, but it means something to me to be able to thank someone for doing something that means a lot to me.