Just got back from a trip to England and an interesting thing happened to me in Heathrow Airport.
I found myself standing next to someone very famous.
Now, I am not a naturally star-struck kind of person. I have rubbed shoulders with a few semi-famous folk in the past and have never been either fazed or sycophantic.
However this happened to be a person whom I hold in very high regard. I would go as far as to say that, in my opinion he is perhaps the greatest living movie actor. One of his movies is in my top 5 movies of all time and there is at least one more in the top ten. A recent movie he starred in and – I think – produced had one of the most impressive opening sequences I have seen for ages and would dearly love to know how it was shot. I am told he makes a good fist of being one of the world’s greatest living stage actors too.
So. On one hand, I had the opportunity to thank the man for the pleasure, entertainment and enlightenment he has given me over the years. To basically add my “applause” verbally and in a very direct one-to-one way. On the other hand I could respect that fact that he wasn’t working, he was making his way through a busy airport and I could respect his anonymity and not needlessly bug him.
As he turned to face me I had to make a decision quickly.
I decided to respect his personal space and only gave a friendly good-morning-like nod which he returned as his eyes met mine.
Throughout the rest of the journey I started to think I made the wrong decision. I started to regret that I hadn’t given praise where it was due.
So did I do the right thing? What do you think?
