SPOTTING A CELEBRITY REALLY UP CLOSE!

       Someone this past week mentioned getting an autograph from some major band member at a local Mickey D's. My memory of meeting or at least being very close to a celebrity immediately came to mind.

     It was around the recent millennium, 2000, and I was returning with a companion  from the New Orleans Jazz Festival. My companion, who was in charge of our flight and she had misread our ticket and we missed our flight from New Orleans to Chicago.  It really messed us up because we also had to get to Kansas City where our car was parked and back to Des Moines. 

       While standing at our  flight counter mid morning at the New Orleans airport, a lady ahead of us was discussing her flight with the clerk. I did a double take, but, was almost 98% sure it was none other than Halle Berry the movie actress. I said not one word and did my best to not stare. She was simply dressed in a white T-shirt, jeans and if she was wearing make-up it was very little. And, she was knock down gorgeous! Did I say she was just wearing a white T-shirt! When the flight employee said something to the effect of "Miss Berry!" I knew who I was standing beside. Also, she had no other person or any type of entourage with her. Just UNO! I will never forget that encounter. And no, I didn't get no stinkin' autograph!