1998 - meeting a celebrity

i had never been a huge celebrity buff, but i knew the basics. i knew the big wigs. 

when my friend megan w. invited me to her cabin in jackson hole for the weekend, i figured relaxing in a hot tub and exploring the local trails would be a nice change from AP US history homework. we also had another friend (megan h.) who had moved to jackson hole a few months earlier and we were excited for a chance to see her.

as we drove around the quiet wintered streets of jackson in megan's huge van, we got a little lost. these were pre-technology days so we hadn't even dreamed of a garmin suctioned to the windshield, a smart phone to give us our location or even a cell phone to call someone while we were busy getting lost. 

we drove through neighborhood after neighborhood trying to find xyz drive, to no avail. it was winter, and it was cold. so if the locals were out and about, they weren't wandering the streets in the suburbs, they were flying down the slopes. 

but it was in one of those deserted neighborhoods that we spotted it: humanity. 

two figures off in the distance. a father and a son on a lazy saturday morning stroll together. the dad looked as if he had just woken up. his graying hair disheveled, whiskers growing long, and oversized gray sweatshirt and sweatpants well worn. they seemed friendly and harmless enough, so megan pulled the car over to the curb and rolled down the window. the man looked familiar, but since i didn't know anyone in jackson, i brushed it off to a familiar face. 

we explained our situation, including our desired destination, hoping he would know where to send us. and he did. he asked if we had a pen and paper to write down directions. we didn't. so we had to commit them to memory instead. as he verbally led us out of the neighborhood and on the path to our friend's street, we took mental notes, thanked our new friend, rolled up the window and continued on our way. 

we drove around the corner and down about two blocks before megan slammed her foot on the brake. we looked at each other straight in the eyes and she said what we were both thinking. 

"that was harrison ford."

"i know," i replied. 

we both sat there in shock, not willing to believe that neither of us had recognized him in the moment and swooned as any sane and normal 17 year old girls should do. 

nope. we just asked for directions, graciously accepted his answer and drove away. 

we were probably the first two people in the history of the new world who didn't recognize harrison ford. he probably loved those two dumb girls from utah that cold, winter day. in our defense, he was extremely out of celebrity context and looked nothing like he does on the big screen or the red carpet. not in our defense, we were idiots.

megan tried to make us feel better by remembering that we didn't have a pen and a paper. we couldn't have had him scribble his signature even if we had swooned. so no one would have believed us anyway.

"but we had a camera," i sighed. 

yes. we had a camera. at worst we could have snapped a photo of the sci-fi heart throb from the distance, but by that point, he and his son were long gone. as real as a mirage in the winter desert of jackson, leaving us thirsty for a do-over in the distance. 

every time i see harrison in the media, i think of that fateful winter day. i've still never seen him in action as indiana jones or han solo. but there's no need. because i've seen the real deal. 

but i don't have a photo, so you'll just have to trust me. 

also in 1998:

 {welcoming scott home after two years in italy...after a few flight delays. i think this was one in the morning!}

 {yes, i spent some of my after-school afternoons fake modeling with my friends. we were hot.}

 {sophomore senator. i love my room in this picture - such a mix of childhood trinkets and new, important stuff like a panoramic picture and lettering from the signs i made to run for office.}

 {jackson hole, memorial day weekend}

 {siblings, october}

 {skyline-brighton football game - women's association junior rep}

 {highlites}

 {maren and meg during one of our many sleepovers}

{the big haircut}