I've been tagged by both Julie and Susan to list five things that most people don't know about me. This was an interesting challenge and it took me a while to come up with them; let's see how this goes (I've actually got six):
1. Many folks know that I love history and literature, but many don't know just how early those loves developed. Although I touched on this very briefly in my posting on President Ford, a lot of people don't know that I watched the Watergate hearings religiously on television when I was just 3 and 4 years old -- and could point out and actually name Haldemann, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, Dean, and a lot of the others at that young age. As far as the literature side, I sat with my father and watched a performance of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" on Masterpiece Theater in the hours just ahead of my 6th birthday party.
2. I collect autographed books and have built up a collection of nearly 100 of them over the years -- famous authors, presidents, secretaries of states, Pulitzer Prize winners, etc. It's an eclectic collection, ranging from Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger t0 Charlton Heston and Donald Trump. I love the challenge of getting them, but even more than that, I look forward to having something of some value (both personal and monetary) that I can pass on to my daughters years down the road.
3. I'm a classical organ music afficianado, and attend concerts as often as I can in the Northern Virginia/D.C. area. I also have a sizeable collection of recordings, dating as far back as some of the old 78s that "Fats" Waller recorded in the early part of the 1900s.
4. I bartended for a few years in small college town (Radford) in Southwest Virginia -- and I certainly wouldn't have been confused for Tom Cruise's character in "Cocktail."
5. I was a contributor to (and interviewer for) George Plimpton's oral biography of Truman Capote that came out a few years ago; I've written two published articles on Alabama history; and I've been acknowledged or cited in a collection of Capote's letters and in a recent biography of Harper Lee.
6. I'm extremely sentimental and have a strong attachment to the people, places, and events of my past -- most good, some not so good, but all an important part of who I am.
I'll now tag Ipanema, Suzy, and Patchouli for this one.....
Thanks Matt! You are an eclectic fellow. Kudos on all those autographed books.
ReplyDeleteHave a good one!
Susan
Interesting, enjoyed reading that.
ReplyDeleteWe have #4 in common ... I worked as a bartender for a few years while I was in the Army.
ReplyDeleteThat was a cool read, Matt! I can picture little you watching the Watergate hearings!
ReplyDeleteAh, good I came to greet, ok is there anything else one doesn't know about me considering I think aloud. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll post mine later. :)
Great list!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to link your blog to my site...let me know if it's okay.
... and you didn't even mention the episode in the airport when I was the "lookout" for James Carville while you bought his book just to get his autograph - such cloak-and-dagger routines! I could have been arrested for stalking! I remember how he jumped when you spoke to him - and he never once looked at you, but signed the book anyway! Ah, the memories...
ReplyDeleteOh... and you didn't mention "dinner" with Madeline Albright!!! ...and breaking in line to greet President Bush... sooo many memories, so little time.
ReplyDelete