Perhaps Unexpected

Richard Simmons (yes, that Richard Simmons) may not be the same kind of person as the rest of us.  But chances are that's only because he's somehow better.

Some of the things he says and does might best be described as strange or odd, but he is one of the most genuine, kindest people I have ever met.  Which is amazing because of his celebrity.

At my place of work, I have the opportuni

ty to work with all manner of celebrities, from musicians and athletes to TV legends, presidential candidates, and even a former prime minister of Canada.  All of this to say that I deal with "famous" people on a daily basis, and the vast majority of them are just like the rest of us, more or less uncomfortable with new things like appearing on TV or whatever it is that they're doing.

Often, these people are in for what are called Satellite Media Tours.  These begin as early as four in the morning out here in LA so that whoever the guest is can be interviewed "live via satellite" on morning shows across the country.   When these guys are a little grumpy, I understand.  Some guests are absolutely legendary for their "demandingness" for no reason at all.  I don't really understand that.

But very few are actually nice, and of those who are, none are nicer nor more genuine than Richard Simmons, which gets me back to where I started.

Get over it that someone does things that you think are weird.  Malia (sorry, I can't bring myself to stop calling you Malia, old habits and all that) twittered the other day about how her predilection towards functionalism over fashionablism made her un-American.  I'm right there, too.  People think I'm weird because I don't want an iPhone, or I'm not sure I'd buy a house if I had the cash to do it outright, and certainly wouldn't buy anything resembling large.

I guess more than about not judging people who are weird, this is about being the person who is genuine.  I wish that genuine was an adjective that I would use to describe myself.

I guess I just want to be more like Richard.

This picture was taken after Richard finished an early morning media tour and should have been exhausted, and about two minutes after we first met.  Also, he talked pretty exclusively about how thin I am.