Friday, September 15, 2006

Brushes With Greatness Friday Five


Today's RevGals Friday Five meme is titled "Brushes With Greatness". Which in my case should be renamed "Brushes With Bushes". Well, that's what happens when you've lived in Texas a long time.

1. Tell us about a time you met someone famous.

I've met President George W. Bush twice --both times before he ran for President. The first time was during his first campaign for governor of Texas when he visited Sugar Land. I was just thinking about this yesterday when I heard that former Governor Ann Richards died. W defeated her in that race. We played the "do you know" game because El Jefe was at Yale at the same time he was and knew him slightly back then. W asked me if I also had gone to Yale then stopped himself and said, "no, too old"! Which was exactly right--I entered college just before Yale went coed.

A few years later I met him again when he ran for his second term at a campaign gathering at a home down the street. This time El Jefe was with me and he asked W about one of his cousins who was also a Yale classmate that El Jefe had known pretty well. It was a somber conversation because that young man had a tragic life.

I've also been introduced to Barbara Bush, senior, and President George H.W. Bush at functions in Houston.

Portia was acquainted with Barbara Bush, junior, at Yale, but didn't know her well.

Our connection with the greater Bush family continued with Babs at Sewanee. One of her good friends there was the granddaughter of the Bush 41's brother.

2. Tell us about a celebrity you'd like to meet.

I'd like to meet Condoleeza Rice. She is the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and I have read several of her statements about her faith and growing up in Birmingham Alabama during the time of the civil rights movement.

3. Tell us about someone great who's *not* famous that you think everyone oughta have a chance to meet.

Dr. Weston Fields. He is the director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation, an ordained minister, the owner/operator of a salmon canning business in Alaska, fluent in ancient Hebrew and Greek and has the most fascinating stories of anyone I ever met.

4. Do you have any autographs of famous people?

No, we don't collect autographs.

5. If you were to become famous, what would you want to become famous for?

Singing.

Bonus: Whose 15 minutes of fame was up long, long ago ?

Too easy--Paris Hilton. Arrggghhh.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

That's three votes for Paris Hilton!

Mary Beth said...

My lord Miss Agnes. The Shrub actually said "Too old" to you?

I mean, yes. He was right. But who says that to a woman?

And if someone doesn't teach him to say "Nuclear" properly I'm gonna implode.

Anonymous said...

I want to meet Dr. Weston Fields now.

And after reading Paris Hilton's name several times, Ihave heard of that name but don't know anything about her....

Jody Harrington said...

Mary Beth,

I've told this story before and sometimes get the same reaction you had, "how could he say that to a woman?"

Actually I've always thought this incident showed that W wasn't much of a slick politician. It wasn't offensive to me. But then, I'm one of the few Republicans in RGBP!

Sue said...

I had the same thought as Mary Beth -- that he was a bit insensitive to suggest you were "too old." Sheesh.

Michael Kruse said...

"Too easy--Paris Hilton. Arrggghhh."

You are a lawyer with lawyer offspring as I recall. Aren't there laws against polluting the environment that can be enforced here? :)