A Night Unremembered
13 years ago
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Celebrities and Awe
I am just a wee bit curious... have you ever met a celebrity? Were you in awe of the ones you met? Why?
I had a lot of trouble with my immediate supervisors when I worked because I was never impressed by the VIPs that came through the office. One day, while I was working at a surveillance center in northern Virginia, we got a visit from two regional vice presidents. One of them reminded me of a used car salesman... he was on the hustle the whole time he was there (he became CEO of Qwest and then ended up in prison, I think), the other was quieter and more interested in what we did at that office. He asked me what background would be optimal for people staffing the center. I told him 5-10 years in a functioning long distance switch office. He was not happy with that answer. I found out why a few weeks later when they brought in some techs who had formerly been PBX installers who had been through an eight day class on the primary switching system we used.
A few weeks later, Robert Allen (the CEO of AT&T at the time) "dropped by" for an unannounced visit. People all around me panicked and ran around cleaning up the area. I was puzzled. This would happen in just about every office when a VIP was supposed to drop in. I opposed it. I figured they ought to see the actual conditions in which we worked.
I have never been impressed by celebrity. Admirals, Captains, and Generals never impressed me when I was in the Navy, either. Don't get me wrong, I treated them all with the respect due their rank but worry what they thought of me? Never. A boss, a CEO, is just another employee. An admiral is just another officer, another sailor, possibly one who couldn't fill in for the lowliest seaman in an emergency.
On the other hand, I have never met a movie star or other celebrity. I wonder how I would handle a meeting with the President?
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2 comments:
The first celeb I ever met was Hugh O'Brian ... remember him, he was Wyatt Earp on TV. It was on an airplane when I was a kid, and I remember being very puzzled because he was flying coach, just like we were.
I met George McGovern once, and Helen Gurley Brown and I actually worked some with Joyce Brothers. But they were all past their prime when I met them, so it didn't do much for me.
However, I think I would do something for me if I were to meet Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lawrence, Megan Fox or Jessica Biel. And since you're unflappable in the face of fame ... perhaps you could set that up!
Ok, Mr. Average, I'll get right on it.
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