A touch of fame

I once shook hands with the President.

     In my previous life, I worked at the Rochelle News Leader.  They were members of the Illinois Press Association and the group had a meeting.  I went.
     My mind is a little fuzzy.  I think it was in Springfield, but I honestly don't remember.
     I do remember standing in a big room, with hundreds of people....all newspaper people.  I was wearing a brown corduroy sport coat with leather elbow patches on the sleeves.  It was the 70s.  And I had a big, bushy moustache and hair that was a little longer than it is now.
     There was a buzz in the room, and the President walked in.  He was the President, not VP, Nixon had resigned.  He walked through the crowd, shaking hands.
      I honestly think it was the sport coat.  He came right over to me and shook my hand.  I mumbled something like, "It's truly an honor to meet you" but he had moved on before I got it all out.
     I don't think Jackie believed me....and maybe no one else did either.
     But within a week, I had two pictures from the Illinois Press Association photogs.  You can clearly see me shaking hands and talking with President Ford.
     I gave one to my mother...and I have the other one someplace.
     When Barak Obama came to Rochelle campaigning for the Senate, I did shake his hand....but he wasn't a president yet.  And I did meet Ronald Reagan, but he was just a governor then.
      Years ago, when the movie "A 1,000 Acres" was being filmed, I was an extra on the Mendota set.  We were told not to talk to the stars when they passed.  One night after supper I was sitting in the grass and this dog came by and I started petting it and talking to it.
        "Yes....youz a good dog,"  I said, scratching its butt.  "Your such a pretty dog," and on and on.  There was a woman standing next to the dog, I asked its name, she told me, I asked its age, she told me....typical dog stuff.
     She left, taking the dog with her.
     Two other guys looked at me and said, "Do you know who that was?"
     And  I said yeah, that was .... fill in the name of the dog.
     They said, "No, that was Michelle Pfeiffer.  And that was her dog."
     I figured Michelle went back to Hollywood and thought, "wow...these Midwestern guys are pretty hard to impress....one spent more time talking to my dog than me."
     I still look forward to the day Joan Allen sits down with me for some coffee and chitchat.