A story about Kurt Vonnegut
It was way too peculiar. I was in a “high level” corporate position and running the college recruiting circuit. When I arrived at my hotel, the desk clerk told me I had a message and handed me one of those pink “While You Were Out” notes. It was a message from a Kurt Vonnegut, (yeah, right). I have read everything he wrote that I could get my mitts on and was convinced that it was a joke from some of my traveling compadres, as they knew my affection for KV. Turns out, I called his room, thinking that I’d be speaking with my one of my counterparts. Although Kurt seemed a tad confused he invited me to stop by (my room was right next door!!) Naturally I rushed right over, then felt totally stupid when he opened the door. He was really him !!! wearing shabby jeans, flops, a quite wrinkled starched shirt and had the cigarette dangling out of his mouth. I unfortunately had not taken the time to change out of my uniform – blue suit, silk blouse, pearls and pumps. Nonetheless, I always carry a book when I travel. My good luck would have it that I had packed for this particular trip my very very worn out copy of Breakefast of Champions …. which he gladly autographed. I left him with some recruiting collateral and my business card. Later that evening I spied him at the bar with a burly black gentleman (was it his bodyguard or something else I wonder?). He was kind enough to acknowledge me….and then my stupid double hooped gold earing disattached itself and plopped onto the floor. His buddy came over and was able to find it. That’s my brush with “fame”. Damn they hadn’t marketed digital cameras / cellphones back then.
