brush with fame

On a whim, I called up my congressman's office to see if I could meet with Congressman Dennis Moore from the third district of Kansas. To my surprise they told me to come in during the afternoon and that I could have a brief meeting with him. I was really excited to meet with him because I wanted to discuss with him House Resolution 121 (check it out). He seemed genuinely interested and told me that he agreed that it was a pressing issue and would look into it. I was super-syked, to think that somehow in that small way I had made a difference for myself and my people.

In the evening, I went to a free Shaggy and Wyclef Jean concert at the Kennedy Center. That was great too, hearing songs like "Angel" and "Wasn't Me" totally put me back into my good ole' middle school days.

Anyways, in light of my encounters with Congressman Moore, Shaggy and Wyclef Jean, I began thinking about the celebrities, politicians, fame and power. There's something about meeting famous or powerful people that is really exciting and memorable. For example, as nerdy as it sounds, as I was riding the elevator up in the Congressional Building to Moore's office, my heart began to pound and my palms got sweaty. They've got this X-factor, which appeals to different people in different ways and for different reasons.

I'm beginning to understand the X-factor that appeals to me. For me, I love meeting famous/powerful people because it's an encounter with a person (a real, normal person) who happens to be famous or powerful. It's a reminder to me that the majority of these people began their lives without such fame or power. This reminds me of the power of dreams and the purpose of hope. That with hope anything is possible... question is, what do you hope for?

I can do all things through him who gives me strength. - Phil. 4:13