It was 1986, or maybe 1987. I had a certain kind of familiarity with Ronald Reagan, Jr., mostly because of the skit that he had done on Saturday Night Live, doing a parody of Tom Cruise jumping on a bed with no pants and white socks and singing. Anyway, I was having a time in Manhattan with my friend, Paula, and we were walking down 5th Avenue around 9 p.m. and here comes Ronald Reagan, Jr. walking toward us on the sidewalk. Paula was chatting about something to me, but I saw and recognized Ron as he approached us. You know how, in the city, you make sure to make room for others on the sidewalk. Well, he stepped to the right to make room for us, just as I moved us to the right. So, he moved to the left, just as I moved us to the left. We stopped, locked eyes and laughed, and made room for each other, just as
Paula was getting the gist of it. As Ron walked past, our shoulders brushed. Then, I said that that was Ronald Reagan, Jr. "What? How do you know? You mean, Ronald Reagan?" she shouted, and turned to look. So did I. Ron heard her, looked over his shoulder and saw the recognition, and started to run up the sidewalk, soon out of sight.
Many years later, in 2001, my man, Jon, and I were traveling up the left coast
in a rented Lincoln, taking 2 weeks to go from LA to Seattle. We had finally made it to Seattle, just days after the earthquake that had shaken the city and closed lots of spots. Anyway, we were walking through Pike Place Market when Jon asked me to please wait while he ran back to the car for something. So, I was hanging out next to a leaning wall when I saw a couple of young businessmen walking toward me, and one of them looked up and said to his companion, "Hey, look at that guy. Isn't he a famous actor or someone? No, wait, it's Ronald Reagan, Jr.!" I turned to look, and, sure enough, there he was walking toward them, from behind me. As he walked by me, our eyes met and our shoulders brushed, and then he started to run up the street, away from us all.
Paula was getting the gist of it. As Ron walked past, our shoulders brushed. Then, I said that that was Ronald Reagan, Jr. "What? How do you know? You mean, Ronald Reagan?" she shouted, and turned to look. So did I. Ron heard her, looked over his shoulder and saw the recognition, and started to run up the sidewalk, soon out of sight.
Many years later, in 2001, my man, Jon, and I were traveling up the left coast
in a rented Lincoln, taking 2 weeks to go from LA to Seattle. We had finally made it to Seattle, just days after the earthquake that had shaken the city and closed lots of spots. Anyway, we were walking through Pike Place Market when Jon asked me to please wait while he ran back to the car for something. So, I was hanging out next to a leaning wall when I saw a couple of young businessmen walking toward me, and one of them looked up and said to his companion, "Hey, look at that guy. Isn't he a famous actor or someone? No, wait, it's Ronald Reagan, Jr.!" I turned to look, and, sure enough, there he was walking toward them, from behind me. As he walked by me, our eyes met and our shoulders brushed, and then he started to run up the street, away from us all.
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