When I was 24 (1978?) and he was 50, I had the privilege of escorting Paul Newman through a back door away from adoring State Dept. employees...he was the President's Special Ambassador to the UN on Peace & Disarmament (job first held by Pearl Bailey) I believe, and everyone from the vice President to Secretary of State Vance were there for a meeting in our secure conference room.
Of course folks had lined up the hallways to see "Paul" and despite wearing yellow sunglasses to hide the baby blues, he was the most handsome & expensively dressed man I'd ever met close up...but he wanted to escape the adoration and asked my boss if there was a back way out. Said boss was clueless but this savvy clerk was in the right place and time to say "Please come this way", cheeky grin. As we walked along, Paul said, "You know, when I turned 50 I thought this would all be behind me." To especially endear myself to him (well, that was the closest I ever came to being a smart & Cute young Career Woman) I replied, "Well, my *mother* was thrilled to know you were here."
Needless to say, no more small chat with the cute clerk....but once I pointed him & his aide to a clear hallway and an open elevator to their waiting limo, he deliberately switched back to Mr. Movie star mode, turned, took my hand, looked deeply into my eyes and said "Thank You." OK, my *knees* melted.
So if he turned out to be the opposite of the incredibly creative, sharing, generous, talented, family loving, earth helping Spirit he really was, I would probably still think he was Mr. Cool Hand, another wry grin, but Oh, I'm so glad he was on This Earth and we all benefited.
I hope his extended family will feel the love we all send their way during this transition from body to spirit.
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2 comments:
Hi Ann. I just turned the computer on and saw the news headlines about Paul Newman. He was indeed very cool. Loved your plucky story of how you met. I would not have the presence of mind would have just been stammering hum-n-ah-hum-n-ah
hey CJ, so good to hear from you and read your own blob....been a long time since i was that perky career girl (!), but if you have to be a peon, the office the Sec State is a good place to meet interesting people!
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