What 'celebrities' have you met?

This morning I thought it would be interesting to ask what celebrities friends have met? It could be an actor, actress, singer, stand-up comic, computer personality, or other well known public person.

I think it was around 1986 that I attended a Barrie Chamber of Commerce function at which then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was speaking. I didn't get a chance to talk to The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, but it was interesting listening to him talk.

I grew up with and was in a play with Jeremy Wright, "Short Bus" from the television series Rent-A-Goalie. It was pretty cool to find out that Jeremy had gone beyond the acting in high school to something significant.

One the street one day I met someone I went to public and high school with who claimed to be playing for the Edmonton Oilers hockey team. I replied, "Sandy you're full of shit." That Sandy was Sandy Mccarthy, enforcer for the Edmonton Oilers. I always thought Art, Sandy's brother, was a whole lot scarier than Sandy. That might have been because Sandy is a really cool, down to earth guy.

Many years later I was working at Pantorama in the Toronto Eaton Centre when a very pleasent woman came in for some Levis jeans. As we went to put the purchase through the register I noticed the name on the credit card was Sass Jordan. I'd listened to Sass before, but I would have never recognized her. The assistant manager who worked at the store at the time knew from the start it was Sass, but I didn't really care, she was nice and she was buying jeans.

Also at the same store I met Glen Sather. Glen was the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers at the time. He came in for some jeans as well. I felt bad for Glen because the assistant manager from the sports store beside us spotted him and wanted to yack his ear off. Glen did get his jeans.

Though I can't confirm it, the bartender at Wickies pub in Barrie, once asked me "do you know who was just sitting beside you?" Of course I had no clue, so he told me "Honeymoon Suite." I think I believe him because Alan Frew from Glass Tiger came in a couple of times, and I did recognize him (who couldn't with all the people who swarmed him).

I met Stephan Dion while he was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. I can't say a whole lot about Stephan other than he seemed to fit the role of politician. I will say that when I met him the one thing that came to mind was that I didn't think he would become the next Prime Minister. Of course as a politician you have to meet a lot of people, so maybe it was an off day for Stephan.

I'm sure I've rubbed elbows with other "celebrities" and not realized who they were, but I'll leave you with one more celebrity: Bill Gates.

Many years ago Bill Gates was speaking at a computer event in Toronto. I went to sit down in the room but there was no space. With well over 1,000 people jammed into the tiny room Mr. Gates looked like a small spec at the podium. I thought to myself, "he's just a guy," and I turned around and went to look at the rest of the event.