Recently I took a road trip to rekindle some childhood memories, but came back realizing how much I have matured. I attended the Dallas Comic Con.
If asked what the best part was, I would have to say that the photo op with Nathan Fillion was not, to my surprise. Yes standing in line for nearly two hours to spend a star-struck fifteen seconds with Captain Castle for an immortalized Kodak moment was not the shiney experience I expected. The best part was the impromptu moment of conversing with "the real" Adam Baldwin, while waiting for his alter-ego John Casey to sign his autograph to a glamour shot of the man they call Jayne.
During this highlight of the event, I believe that I met a genuinely sincere person who was humbled by the likes of a person who would be willing to stand in line for hours to pay for a glimpse of a celebrity. Yet in this unexpected moment the expected, or what ought to be expected, happened. Two persons encountered one another out of mutual admiration. Not many words were spoken because sincerity and integrity were exchanged.
I made the first bold move, not by forking over the cash to his handler. I went in full steam with a friendly Texas handshake. He met me equally with a firm grip. We smiled, exchanged pleasantries, and then this famous actor put aside his red-carpet celebrity status and became a real person. Though he had in hand the glamour shot that I spent a lot of money to have him scribble a standard message on, Mr. Baldwin stopped in that moment to spend a genuine encounter with me, Mr. Husband. Having explained my wants for what I paid for, he took time to ask about my sick wife who couldn't be there for her autograph. With soft-spoken sincerity, he shifted the contracted conversation into just two normal guys sharing about life. Sure eventually I got what I paid for, but that free moment of unexpectedly sharing life was awesome. And that's when I learned my lesson, though I didn't realize it until much later the next day.
Perhaps I was naive going into this situation. Yet had I not had that youthful excitement, I would not have learned my lesson that I share with you. Enjoy everyday life because waiting for a glimpse of a celebrity is boring. Real people can surprise you. Fame is not extraordinary, normal life is.
