Monday, June 20, 2005

My brush with greatness

I started a second job at an outdoor music venue. I got to be usher in the center of the house for the Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters show - John Mayer forgot the words to his own song (heh) but the rest of the show ROCKED. I had a bit of trouble before the show started...

As an usher, I direct people to their seats, and help elderly & handicapped when necessary. Otherwise, I just make sure everyone is having a good time (easy for me, I just do my usual silliness).

There was this elderly lady working with me. She couldn't remember which side of the aisle was 'B' and which was 'C'. She kept sending people to the wrong section, who we then had to sort out to their correct seats.

Well, there was this guy that had to move because he was in the wrong seat. He apologized and said he would find his correct seat before the show started (he was talking to the people in the row in front of him). A few minutes later, he had to be moved again. Right before the show started, I figured I had better go check his ticket to make sure he wouldn't have to be moved again during the show. I went over and asked him "Sir, may I see your ticket to make sure we have you in the right seat?"

He was upset that I asked him and not anyone else (thought I was profiling him?) but I explained that I just wanted to be sure we didn't have to disturb people during the show. Turns out he was in the correct seat, so I said "Thank you" and went back to seating people.

Suddenly, I hear "Hey you!". I finished helping the people I was with and went back to ask the man what I could do for him. He pointed to a woman two seats away and said "This lady thinks you owe me an apology". I said I was sorry I had to ask to see his ticket. We had to re-seat him twice, and I was just trying to make sure we had him in the proper seat. Then he said that I wouldn't have done that if I knew who he was.

...

So I asked. He was Wilbert Longmire.

Ok. Yes, I have one of his albums. Yes, I knew who he was (Googled a pic of him the next day to make sure he wasn't yanking my chain). But yes, I would have checked his ticket to make sure he was in the right damn seat. I was just doing my job.

So now, I have met Wilbert Longmire. And I think he is a dick.