Interesting People I've Known or Met

The beginning of a new year often brings some introspection. I was thinking about people whom I've met that were truly interesting. Here are some of them...

Dr. James Hansen - the "Paul Revere" of Global Warming who was invited, in the mid-1980's, by Senator Al Gore to testify in front of a Congressional subcommittee about climate change. He was the first scientist to state that global warming was happening now. I used to work for him.

Dr. Roger Revell - Oceanographer. I met him at work.

Jacques et Michel Cousteau - Jacques Cousteau was the man who first interested me, as a child, in SCUBA diving through his television specials. He and his son were very nice. I met them while I was at work.

Frank Sinatra - a man who cared enough to ask an 11-yr-old girl if she would like to see her father perform while sitting in the audience next to his wife, instead of only from backstage right. I'll never forget his kindness. (My father lost the autograph Frank wrote to me!!!). I wasn't thrilled about his daughter, Nancy, however.

The Osmond Brothers (actually, the entire family, including Marie and Jimmy, and except for Virl and Tom) - really nice people, all of them! I was so sorry to hear of their parent's passing. The family always stood together in a circle, with hands held together, and prayed before each performance. Their father, George, invited me to join them in prayer.

Fred Astaire - a legend in dance and song. I met him on set, while picking up my father from work. He was very nice; a true gentleman.

Gena Rowlands - actress. A nice lady I met on a Malibu beach while visiting my friend's grandmother. I got to hold a real Oscar - they're HEAVY!

Debbie Reynolds - used to pick up my father in LA before going to the set to work. According to my Mom, her daughter and I used to play together as babies in front of the Tropicana in Las Vegas.

Rosemary Clooney - at a Christmas dance for LA Cotillion. I had learned the fox trot, cha cha, etc., but had to move across country before I got to learn the Viennese Waltz. Someday...

Keith Haring - popular artist, now deceased. I met him at a NYC party given by my, then, boyfriend. He was very interesting to converse with - we spoke about many things, including religion.

Most of the other interesting and wonderful people whom I've loved, befriended, learned from, or worked with are not famous, so you wouldn't know them. However, this doesn't make them any less "important," noteworthy, influential, or amazing. Here are only a few of them, and not in any particular order. They include... Philip Yacos, Elaine Matthews, (Dr.) Bill Rossow, the lunch group at GISS, Herb Lyon, Bill and Carol Erlbaum, Faith O'Neal, Irene Cortes, Frank Palazzi, Fred Aquilino, Nadine Robinson, Bea and Clayton Wilcox, Brother Adams at Fordham University, my 7th grade music teacher at Walter Reed Jr. High in North Hollywood, CA, Teresa Coultas, Dan Dallman, Sabrina Gould, and Phyllis Kontolefa Wendelboe.

Who have been some of the more interesting or influential people in your life?