At the corner of 51st and Madison, a very tall, thin black man and I were waiting for the light to change. The only two people on the curb, we did what everyone does out of curiosity and compulsion. I turned to glance at him and he turned to look at me, as though to say, “I acknowledge your presence here on this street corner.”
But the moment he turned to look at me, something in my brain said, “You know this guy.” And before I could do a crosscheck, my mouth had gone off.
“Oh! Hi!”
The second it was out of my mouth I wanted a do-over. I slapped a mental hand to my forehead and contemplated shoving my head into my oversized handbag. Oh god. I am so uncool. If there was ever any question about it, I went and cleared it up right there.
Obviously not nearly as excited as I was at our serendipitous meeting, Morgan Freeman simply nodded politely, and then the light changed and we crossed the street.
On a totally unrelated note: I would be so much more comfortable with Jessica Simpson’s new song if I thought she actually knew what “carte blanche” means.
I probably would have hugged him and invited him to be my new grandfather. I think you were OK saying hi.
You were totally cool. I met Mike Myers, and was gushing like a 12-yr-old girl.
Morgan Freeman is soooooo cool! He has the sexiest voice Ever!
HA! The “oh hi’ of the “oh yeah we know each other” followed by the thought of ” nope. I know you, you have no clue who I am!”
Not as bad as my coworker, we we in LA and saw Bernie Mac. He gave him the ‘two gun salute’ (as in aiming two guns) and said “HEY BERRRNIIE”. Followed by the eye brow raise of “yeah, you know me” indication!
Bernie at least said hi and told us to have a nice day, but I STILL make fun of my coworker!
When I was eight, I had dinner at this hotel with my parents when my father spotted MC Hammer and I totally did not see him, so I kind of wandered to where he supposedly was then went back to my table. Well, my parents proceeded to think that I ran away from MC Hammer, when really I just didn’t see him. After dinner we went up to a concert on a VERY busy street where my father then announced to every other person that I ran away from MC Hammer. Which is pretty much as uncool as it gets.
I think you’re fine. At least you didn’t run at him or beg for an autograph and draw tons of attention to him so he got mobbed on the street and over run with paparazzi or anything like that. He could go about his business afterwards.
Why can’t I run into anyone like that? The only people I ever run into are golf pros and race car drivers….
I get the feeling that Morgan Freeman rarely gets overrun by paparazzi. They’re too busy chasing Lindsay Lohan’s trail of percosets and Blahniks around town.
Well at least you knew the name of your celeb… I was walking on Houston some months ago and Jim Gaffigan (you know the comedian) walked by me for the second time. I just looked at him like “I know who you are” but couldn’t remember his name. He also looked at me but tried to hide by talking on his cell phone. Next time I see him I’ll make sure to be really uncool.
You were no where near as uncool as I was when I met the original Puppetry of the Penis guys on a train station platform.
I mean, like, HOW ON EARTH could I get so excited to meet guys who professioanlly play with their dicks?
On a totally unrelated note: I would be so much more comfortable with Jessica Simpson’s new song if I thought she actually knew what “carte blanche” means.
Awesome, funny, and (sadly) so true.
You didn’t sing “Easy reader, that’s my name…” – so totally cool
A few years ago, I lived in a building with Jerry Springer – wound up on an elevator with him. Totally in the habit of my 5yo pushing the button, I forgot to hit my floor – so I rode up to his floor. Can you say STALKER? I was embarrassed, he was embarrassed… I am still embarrassed!
hahaha, that happens to me too when i see famous people in NY. i think, “i know you but i can’t remember your name” and then i have a major OOPS! moment as i look them in the face and realize that i don’t know them because we’re friends but because i see them on the TV. they must think i’m crazy.
WOW – I LOVE MORGAN FREEMAN!! The “painted man” in Robin Hood – he intrigues me to no end and I love his voice. I would have knocked his ass on the ground from jumping on him for a hug…definitely! Did this happen this morning?? I’m so jealous…I have goosebumps just thinking about standing next to him on a street corner….
hmm…didn’t think it went through the first time…hahaha!
I had a similar experience in New York with Stevie Nicks, right before the US festival (around Labor Day ’82 or ’83), only she thought I was someone she knew or should have recognized. Amazingly, and uncharacteristically, I picked up on that and told her to call me when she got back to NY after the festival and we’d have dinner. She said she would.
I like to think that she spent at least 15 minutes that night trying to remember who I was. Hee.
Wow, first Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban at the movies and now Morgan Freeman on the street corner…I need to visit NY more often! I think you were totally fine. I’m sure he gets crazier reactions that Oh Hi. You gotta start carrying a disposable camera and a sharpi with you at all times for these rare occasions.
As for the Jessica Simpson song, it’s got a catchy beat but no substance what so ever. I’m 100% Team Lachey!!!
Morgan Freeman and Ed Bradley in one week? You lucky girl!
FYI- I also want Morgan Freeman to be my grandpa.
Much cooler than the time I stood in line with a still-very fat Roger Ebert at Gold Coast Dogs here in Chicago, and ordered twice as much food as him.
I am very tempted to blow my “of course I don’t read blogs at work!” cover to share this gem with my office:
I would be so much more comfortable with Jessica Simpson’s new song if I thought she actually knew what “carte blanche” means.
Good stuff.
That’s so awesome! I cackled out at my desk just now!
“Carte blanche” means “blank check”
Oh don’t feel un-cool. I’d been working late one night and decided to take a stroll in my work neighbourhood. I bumped into Chris Noth (a.k.a Big from Sex and the City) on the street, mistook him for a coworker and asked if he was headed back to the office too. I’m far more un-cool than you.
Uh, thanks Tim. Boy it’s a good thing you showed up!
I wonder if my quest to have a black grandpa will ever be fulfilled.
You did much better than I did, when I met Teemu Selanne (NHL) and tripped over a concrete parking block, while I was checking him out!
Doesn’t Jessica Simpson’s song sound a lot like Madonna’s Holiday? Or is it just me.
I would have freaked if I would have seen Morgan Freeman. You did surprisingly well under the circumstances.
Re: Jessica Simpson…Thought the EXACT same thing this morning while listnening to her song on the treadmill.
Guilty.
Hah. I consider it a good day if I go to bed at night have not had one of those “mental head-slapping” moments.
That being said, I had no idea about carte blanche…. and also have no idea what the meaning of the song is. How lame is that?
….And then I mentally head slap myself for even bothering to try and figure it out.
I met Morgan Freeman senior year of college. I went to the University of Mississippi and, since he’s from the state he was at a function going on at the college and I happened to be working at it that night. He was exactly like how you’d imagine him to be. But all I really remember is freaking out as I saw him walk down the hall toward me lol.
Fish aka Heather you’re too cool to be uncool. You’re making a name for yourself and if he doesn’t know who you are yet, he soon will.
I know I read your blog for a reason. I saw Morgan Freeman at a marina in the Caribbean last year and I did just about the same thing, “oh! hi!” As relaxed as things are down there, it was Morgan Freeman! I had to freak out a little later.
Dude, Morgan Freeman checked you out.
Well, he certainly qualifies as old hotness! That’s awesome!
I can’t bring myself to be comfortable with anything Jessica Simpson does.
Morgan Freeman sightings are the reason I need to move home, stat.
1.) c’mon… all the girls going out for a public affair? that’s some catchy stuff…
2.) imagine; morgan is at home right now, wishing he had realized he was standing on the corner with the prolific writer- miss.fish.
3.) post request: a follow up to ‘he said’. how did you ever learn to trust someone again? or did you?
you’re WAY cooler than i am! i saw the guy who played ben in that tv show felicity when i was in la. i didn’t bother to ask for anything from him, but when i saw him a second and then third time, i figured, why not? stupid me, i couldn’t remember his name, so i had to call a friend to google him for me.
then i acted super cool when i walked up to him, all nonchalantly, asking, “are you scott speedman?” then i took a camera phone picture with him. i took it of us myself, “so it’ll look like we’re best friends,” i said. major geek. but you’d be surprised how many fans he has out there. i got a zillion hits on my blog when i posted that one.
you are cool enough with the, “Oh! Hi!”
OMG….u saw Morgan Freeman..atleast u recognized him. Had it been me….i would have realized it ….maybe after 10- 15 mins and then feel sorry about it!!
heather- so what part of “Oh. Hi” makes you uncool? I must be REALLY uncool, cuz I use that phrase all the time. -gregg
Damn, I miss NY! I think the only time I had a serious geek moment was walking past Henry Rollins in the Village- I just stopped and turned around with my mouth agape, luckily he never saw.
Hm. I fear I would have asked for a hug. In fact, I know I would. Because I got hugs from the band I saw this weekend. (Totally worth being uncool, by the way.)
Nothin’ to worry about. Any sane, social person acknowledges a familiar face.
“Uh, thanks Tim. Boy it’s a good thing you showed up!”
Absolutely delicious post, Fish!
If I “LOL!” of “ROFL”, would that also be uncool?
“Uh, thanks Tim. Boy it’s a good thing you showed up!”
Absolutely delicious post, Fish!
If I “LOL!” or “ROFL”, would that also be uncool?
Or indeed, if I double-posted because of a typo, would *that* be uncool?
;op
double posting to fix typos is soooo uncool.
I thoguht so.
I thought so.
(Dammit!)
;o)
ROFLMFAO!!!!!!@ manipulador!
thought you’d find this article amusing, given your recent celebrity spotting. you seem to have done better than a lot of people in your response!
http://newyorkmetro.com/news/people/18842/index.html
I bumped into Hilary Swank on Saturday on the Village. I said “Hey Hilary”, she said “Hi, how are you?” And that was it. See, it’s no big deal, Fish, you were totally cool.
“ROFLMFAO!!!!!!@ manipulador!”
Uh . . . ” @ ” means “with”, right?
;o)
Curious as to why in the world you think she doesn’t know what “carte blanche” means.
“Is this chicken or fish, what I’m eating?” Jessica Simpson, upon realizing that her tuna brand was Chicken of the Sea.
Enough said.
On Jessica… it takes someone pretty smart to play someone so stupid on television. She knows exactly what she’s doing… and has the bank account to prove it.
Hahahahaha. That is so something I would do.
I think perhaps Tim misread the comment about “carte blanche” the way I did, thinking Fish didn’t know what carte blanche meant not Simpson. Sort of like when I thought it was Norman instead of No Man in “The Odyssey”.