Celebrity

I saw two famous people today. Demetri Martin getting on the L train and John Malkovich getting in a car with his family. At both encounters there was a split second reaction of “Whoa! A friend of mine. I should say hi.” Immediately followed by an abrupt realization that this person is not my friend, but a complete stranger. It dawned on me that the danger of celebrity arises when that second realization doesn’t hit.