Another great story. Here’s mine: I actually met the Dalai Lama when I was invited by the then Dean of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine to come and meditate with him. It was some time in the 1980’s. Invited were a few big donors and the woman who ran the men’s shelter. I was there because I started and ran the soup kitchen. There were about 20 of us. His Holiness enters the room and sits down. We are in awe of course. After a few minutes he asks why we are so quiet. The Dean explains that we are here to meditate with him. He thinks this is the funniest thing and bursts out laughing. There followed the usual questions and answers.
Famous people of all sorts drop
Into the Cathedral and I try to not let it get in the way of prayer. And speaking of famous people, I once saw you in the grocery store in the 1990’s and wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your writing, but I didn’t want to bother you so I’m telling you now.
The quote of Dalai Lama “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” is very similar to your famous quote "Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known." Great minds think alike.
Garrison, You have met many famous people or almost famous people.
Growing up in the back woods of rural Alabama we don't see many important people. About the closest that I came was in 1972 in Tallahassee, Florida. Nixon was campaigning for a second term and stopped at the airport in Tallahassee. Several of us had never seen a President so we went out. There was a big crowd and we did not get anywhere close to him which is fine because I did not like Nixon but he was someone famous to go see.
A few weeks ago they had a program on PBS about Buddhism in Bhutan. The thing which stood out was when the monk said the most important thing in life was to seek enlightenment and contentment. Imagine spending your life seeking enlightenment and contentment.
I doubt that most Americans can really understand Buddhism. Most Americans basically see life in material terms. For many Americans the most important thing in life is to get more money or a new gadgets. Christians claim to be worried about spiritual matters and the gospel but they put a lot of stock in worldly things like buying a new car, new house, new smartphone, etc. to show off one's success.
You don't find contentment by looking for it, you find contentment by being content.
Buddha says that unhappiness is caused by wanting things.
I know how you felt meeting all those celebrities. My Dad was a Prison Guard and all my Grandparents were farmers. I was working in an ER in Washington DC and Howard K Smith walked in with a bloody thumb from banging on his typewriter. I was in the Navy and one day, Charles Lindbergh walked into the room and introduced himself. I didn't meet Mohammed Ali but I met his body guard in a San Diego Hospital after Ali had his jaw broke by Ken Norton. Each time, I managed to respond to questions but, as soon as possible, I found a corner just to gawk back at the 'celebrities.'
Ah, celebrity, and the worship thereof. I know the bipolar feeling of giddy worshipfulness and terrifying shame at the same time. I’m a poet, so had that feeling when I got to have dinner with Robert Bly. He put us all at ease with Ole and Lena jokes, some of which are not printable. But he made us all feel normal. I wish I could say the same for my mother, who leaped up in the high school gym to ask Margaret Mead the first question after her lecture, and proceeded to gush and ramble in a way that revealed her bipolar illness, of which she died six years later. So, I’m cautious of celebrity; it can make you high, and can be fatal. But it always helps if you can tell good jokes.
Delightful tales of celebrity interactions. Did I miss a line about the picture of you in the carriage? Little girl looks like you so assume is your daughter. The others? And, the occasion? Thanks for years of laughs and wisdom..love the new site.
GK: Today's column is a divertimento of elbow-bumping and room-sharing. Forget your getting bussed by Meryl Streep in public. The Cagney response in a BW film he starred in years ago would have been apropos had you known: A lovely woman kisses Cagney, and next he whips out his handkerchief to rub the lipstick. When she asked him "Why?" he said, "Honey, I'm not rubbing it off. I'm rubbing it in." Anyway, that Streep blessing on your cheek was one only the Dalai Lama himself could extol, or maybe Pope Francis. PS: I loved the closing "He Walks with Me." He does....
Garrison, I'm a little surprised that Meryl was not shunned and banned from any further acting jobs upon her overt and unexpected assault on your cheek in a public place. Perhaps this precedent would be helpful in getting Al Franken back into the spotlight.
Loved this one. From a person who met you a few times, back in my Minnesota days, and who thinks it’s fun to imagine how those lines of connection reach to people like the Dalai Lama and Michelle Obama and maybe Abraham Lincoln. My great-grandma apparently lived next door to his house in Springfield…
Yep, the tangents and the serendipity make life interesting. The time you signed a book at the Broad in Santa Monica. You'd had completed a full solo program w/o a break and subsequently had been ignoring the signing table, standing to not only sign and greet, but to engage in conversation.with.each.patron. I guessed you were collecting coastal anecdotes or maybe discovering how varied but normal is your audience. Anyway, as with a darshan line in South Fallsburg in the 90s, much of the fun of being in your signing line, was to observe your reception and gentle dispatch of your fans. And yeah, my rector was invited by a friend to have a private audience with the DL, and my bro was one of RA's long time location recording engineers. Visited them on set once in FL; I met but was tongued tied in the presence of the many stars in the cast!
One of my claims to fame is meeting Sammy Davis Jr in a restaurant when I was about 12 years old. He was filming Sergeants Three. (Ooops, just showed my age) I was with my mom, aunt & cousin having lunch during an auto tour of the western states nat'l parks. I had my autograph book with me and marched over to the table, saying, "Excuse me, Mr Davis." He jumped up and moved his chair thinking he was in my way. I said, "Oh, no. I want your autograph please." He chatted with me a moment. I often tell this story to let the world know what a kind man he was. Probably all the dramatic stories about him are also true but that day he took time and patience to make a young Iowa Farm Girl feel important. Barbara Darling
I actually met the Dali Lama in Moscow. This doesn't sound believeable but it's true - I was walking back to the Holiday Inn where the members of my tour were staying, and he was out in front of the building seated in a small four door car with three other men in business suits. I was hesitant to invade his privacy but the other people with me took or had selfies taken with him as his window was open and he was agreeable to strangers putting their heads next to his for the sake of posterity for a group of Irish and American tourists.
Mr. Keillor, you are one of few people I am aware of who can brag without actually bragging. That is a great story about the Dalai Lama et al and I enjoyed it as I do all of your stories. Thank you for keeping it up and sharing.
Another great story. Here’s mine: I actually met the Dalai Lama when I was invited by the then Dean of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine to come and meditate with him. It was some time in the 1980’s. Invited were a few big donors and the woman who ran the men’s shelter. I was there because I started and ran the soup kitchen. There were about 20 of us. His Holiness enters the room and sits down. We are in awe of course. After a few minutes he asks why we are so quiet. The Dean explains that we are here to meditate with him. He thinks this is the funniest thing and bursts out laughing. There followed the usual questions and answers.
Famous people of all sorts drop
Into the Cathedral and I try to not let it get in the way of prayer. And speaking of famous people, I once saw you in the grocery store in the 1990’s and wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your writing, but I didn’t want to bother you so I’m telling you now.
Marsha Ra
The quote of Dalai Lama “Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.” is very similar to your famous quote "Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known." Great minds think alike.
Garrison, You have met many famous people or almost famous people.
Growing up in the back woods of rural Alabama we don't see many important people. About the closest that I came was in 1972 in Tallahassee, Florida. Nixon was campaigning for a second term and stopped at the airport in Tallahassee. Several of us had never seen a President so we went out. There was a big crowd and we did not get anywhere close to him which is fine because I did not like Nixon but he was someone famous to go see.
A few weeks ago they had a program on PBS about Buddhism in Bhutan. The thing which stood out was when the monk said the most important thing in life was to seek enlightenment and contentment. Imagine spending your life seeking enlightenment and contentment.
I doubt that most Americans can really understand Buddhism. Most Americans basically see life in material terms. For many Americans the most important thing in life is to get more money or a new gadgets. Christians claim to be worried about spiritual matters and the gospel but they put a lot of stock in worldly things like buying a new car, new house, new smartphone, etc. to show off one's success.
You don't find contentment by looking for it, you find contentment by being content.
Buddha says that unhappiness is caused by wanting things.
Enjoy reading your columns.
Best wishes and have a nice life.
I know how you felt meeting all those celebrities. My Dad was a Prison Guard and all my Grandparents were farmers. I was working in an ER in Washington DC and Howard K Smith walked in with a bloody thumb from banging on his typewriter. I was in the Navy and one day, Charles Lindbergh walked into the room and introduced himself. I didn't meet Mohammed Ali but I met his body guard in a San Diego Hospital after Ali had his jaw broke by Ken Norton. Each time, I managed to respond to questions but, as soon as possible, I found a corner just to gawk back at the 'celebrities.'
If Meryl Streep ever kissed me I would have the date tattooed on my forehead!
Ah, celebrity, and the worship thereof. I know the bipolar feeling of giddy worshipfulness and terrifying shame at the same time. I’m a poet, so had that feeling when I got to have dinner with Robert Bly. He put us all at ease with Ole and Lena jokes, some of which are not printable. But he made us all feel normal. I wish I could say the same for my mother, who leaped up in the high school gym to ask Margaret Mead the first question after her lecture, and proceeded to gush and ramble in a way that revealed her bipolar illness, of which she died six years later. So, I’m cautious of celebrity; it can make you high, and can be fatal. But it always helps if you can tell good jokes.
Delightful tales of celebrity interactions. Did I miss a line about the picture of you in the carriage? Little girl looks like you so assume is your daughter. The others? And, the occasion? Thanks for years of laughs and wisdom..love the new site.
GK: Today's column is a divertimento of elbow-bumping and room-sharing. Forget your getting bussed by Meryl Streep in public. The Cagney response in a BW film he starred in years ago would have been apropos had you known: A lovely woman kisses Cagney, and next he whips out his handkerchief to rub the lipstick. When she asked him "Why?" he said, "Honey, I'm not rubbing it off. I'm rubbing it in." Anyway, that Streep blessing on your cheek was one only the Dalai Lama himself could extol, or maybe Pope Francis. PS: I loved the closing "He Walks with Me." He does....
Garrison, I'm a little surprised that Meryl was not shunned and banned from any further acting jobs upon her overt and unexpected assault on your cheek in a public place. Perhaps this precedent would be helpful in getting Al Franken back into the spotlight.
Love the run-on, breathless sentences; it captures the still-dazzled, child-like wonder you felt, that yeah, this happened to YOU!
Loved this one. From a person who met you a few times, back in my Minnesota days, and who thinks it’s fun to imagine how those lines of connection reach to people like the Dalai Lama and Michelle Obama and maybe Abraham Lincoln. My great-grandma apparently lived next door to his house in Springfield…
Yep, the tangents and the serendipity make life interesting. The time you signed a book at the Broad in Santa Monica. You'd had completed a full solo program w/o a break and subsequently had been ignoring the signing table, standing to not only sign and greet, but to engage in conversation.with.each.patron. I guessed you were collecting coastal anecdotes or maybe discovering how varied but normal is your audience. Anyway, as with a darshan line in South Fallsburg in the 90s, much of the fun of being in your signing line, was to observe your reception and gentle dispatch of your fans. And yeah, my rector was invited by a friend to have a private audience with the DL, and my bro was one of RA's long time location recording engineers. Visited them on set once in FL; I met but was tongued tied in the presence of the many stars in the cast!
Your singing “In The Garden” with Meryl Streep is absolutely gorgeous....I listened to it over and over.....thank you for that post, Linda
One of my claims to fame is meeting Sammy Davis Jr in a restaurant when I was about 12 years old. He was filming Sergeants Three. (Ooops, just showed my age) I was with my mom, aunt & cousin having lunch during an auto tour of the western states nat'l parks. I had my autograph book with me and marched over to the table, saying, "Excuse me, Mr Davis." He jumped up and moved his chair thinking he was in my way. I said, "Oh, no. I want your autograph please." He chatted with me a moment. I often tell this story to let the world know what a kind man he was. Probably all the dramatic stories about him are also true but that day he took time and patience to make a young Iowa Farm Girl feel important. Barbara Darling
I actually met the Dali Lama in Moscow. This doesn't sound believeable but it's true - I was walking back to the Holiday Inn where the members of my tour were staying, and he was out in front of the building seated in a small four door car with three other men in business suits. I was hesitant to invade his privacy but the other people with me took or had selfies taken with him as his window was open and he was agreeable to strangers putting their heads next to his for the sake of posterity for a group of Irish and American tourists.
Mr. Keillor, you are one of few people I am aware of who can brag without actually bragging. That is a great story about the Dalai Lama et al and I enjoyed it as I do all of your stories. Thank you for keeping it up and sharing.
Steve Baldwin