The Unfamous Meet the Famous

Like most people, I'm not famous. I can walk down the street and nobody, except for an occasional friend, recognizes me: no hands to shake, autographs to sign. In the Foreign Service, however, we sometimes get to meet the truly well known; they're visiting our country and we in the embassy orient them, set up appointments, provide transportation, and so forth. It's a brush with fame without the inconvenience of fame. Here are some that I've met.







In 1988, around Christmas time I was de facto chief of mission in Gabon: the ambassador was on vacation deep in the bush, and the Deputy Chief was on home leave. One day I received a call from the Foreign Ministry asking what were my plans for the Jackson visit. What Jackson visit? It turned out that Jesse, unannounced, would be arriving in three hours. I called all the embassy staffers who were around and we quickly arranged a welcoming party in coordination with our Gabonese hosts. I managed to contact the ambasador who asked me to set up ma reception while he hurried back. Jackson turned out to be most gracious, patient, and knowledgeable. In the picture above, I'm posing with Jesse at the ambassador's residence.



In 1982, when I was Cultural Affairs Officer in Zambia, then Vice President George H. W. Bush visited the country. One of his events was a reception and talk at the American Cultural Center. I asked Jonathan, our staff photographer, to be sure to take a picture of me shaking hands with the Vice President. I greeted Bush as he came in, but Jonathan was looking in another direction. I again shook Bush's hand at the reception, but, alas Jonathan had been distracted. However, I was in charge of Barbara Bush's program and here we are at one of her events. I'm at the right, confirming that indeed my hair was receding.

And who is this gentleman that I'm greeting effusively? It's General Kekhanya, head of the army of Lesotho and leader of the coup that elevated my friend the king as head of state. I talked about this on my post about the king and I.

Finally in Gabon, where our American Cultural Center library was named after Martin Luther King, I welcomed Coretta Scott King where she donated a collection of books on her husband. I'm not in the picture, because I took it! Some fond memories of my transitory brush with fame without any of the inconveniences of actually being famous.