brief lunch meeting with a celebrity friend long disassocciated

brief lunch meeting with a celebrity friend long disassociated

fiction
edward w pritchard

It's embarrassing to repeat just how long it took me to type the letter to Mr. xx confirming our lunch date of January the eighth of 2012. Not that I had trouble thinking up how to compose the letter but that I couldn't get the type writer to work properly. Margins and spacing are a mystery to me, my computer couldn't be used because I have no printer that works and a handwritten letter was deemed to informal to reply to a famous celebrity; even one once a friend. At length however, measured in days the letter was mailed, personally through the US post office and a confirmation was received by phone from Penny a local representative of my famous acquaintance.

The day before my lunch with my celebrity friend I watched several clips of him on you tube and read about him in the national media. I was surprised at my brief lunch meeting with a celebrity friend long disassociated by my friend's shyness and timidity of manner. The persona portrayed in the news media and on National television was gone and my celebrity friend was a different person.

Several days later after a very good meal with my celebrity friend  I meant to send a thank you letter to Mr. xx but I couldn't get the energy to deal with the margins and spacing on my old type writer. Later when Penny, the local representative of my celebrity friend called I thought it better not to mention that my celebrity friend had changed over the years. In fact, I think going forward I won't have any more contact with my celebrity friend at all.
end

the photo op

the photo op

fiction
edward w pritchard

For his wife's birthday the President of the United States decided to surprise her with a photo of the 100,000 most important celebrities alive in the year 2010 and naturally he wanted the picture taken at the Hollywood bowl. Embarrassingly the plans were in progress before one of the Presidents staff informed him the bowl would only seat 17,500. Rather than move the photo op the President reluctantly agreed to cut the number of celebrities invited.

Of course arguments and posturing followed of who would be the most important living celebrities. A furor followed and national interest and normal business was pleasantly forgotten as the claws came out among the famous to have their picture taken at the Hollywood bowl.

Should a musician who had made one great song in 1954 be asked to the event? How about a baseball player who pitched one perfect game in 1965? What about a famous evangelist who had retired without scandal? How about a politician who hadn't written a book?

Eventually categories of fame and fortune and stardom were devised and in good time the 17,500 celebrities were gathered and the picture was taken.

Sadly because of pressing concerns the President was unable to make it to the photo op. His wife was Ok with that because she never really liked the picture as the smiles seemed a little contrived.