I have a couple of famous friends. I'm not a name-dropper, so no, I won't tell you who they are. I know them through my kids and the neighborhood, and we just became friends. It's weird, because when you're laying out at the pool with somebody or exchanging kids for a playdate, you don't think of them being famous (especially when they're going to use the playdate time to vaccuum. Famous doesn't = money). They're like anyone else, except they do entertainment for a living. I don't even think about their fame much I knew them both long before I knew who they were, if that makes sense. Then, I'll be out with them and people start watching them, and me, wondering who the cool chick with the famous guy is or whatever. Pfft. People are so easily impressed. I do like my famous friends, though. I respect their talent and dedication and they're just very cool people.
I also know a couple of authors--well enough to hang out with at conferences, and exchange emails with. I also know a couple of up-and-coming who hopefully will remember me when... :D Kidding.*
I'm starting to develop a little residual fame on the Net and in person from Electric Spec, which I'm extremely proud of and deserve less than a quarter of the honor for. Besides that, I've had a couple of brushes with extremely minor fame, myself. Generally, it has to do with my distinctive Jeeps. At nearly every neighborhood party, someone puts me together with my red Jeep and then there's that momentary pause, during which I wonder if I cut them off or something. For the record, I'm a good driver. One accident when I was 16 and one speeding ticket--and it wasn't even a real cop. It was one of those photo-tickets. Sure, you could put me on a friggin' race track, but it's not like I've ever flipped the Rubicon or anything.
Sometimes the recognition has to do with my house. Most people in my neighborhood know my house. It's odd to make a play-date with someone I've recently met and when I offer my address, they say "I know where you live." Or, when they get here, they say, "This is your house? I've always loved this house." I live in a neighborhood of track homes, but apparently mine is distinctive. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I always drove by it and called it my favorite house on the block. We bought it full price the day it came on the market. Good mojo, I guess.
I've been put together with Sex Scenes, too. That's always...interesting. That's when I really wonder what they're thinking. I've actually even had a couple of people approach me in social situations about the blog. I sure hope I didn't disappoint.
And that's the whole point, isn't it? We, as a society, expect something from our celebrities. I've seen a friend change before my eyes into the person the public expects her to be. Both my famous friends are quite crass in private (one reason I like them so much, of course) but you'd hear narry a curse word or a rude comment if a fan is earshot. I watch them, curious, to see how to handle it. I'm not at my best verbally. I'm learning, slowly, how to describe my work in a professional manner, be it the blog or the zine or a book. I'm learning to be friendly, natural, even when someone is staring at you like they expect you to do a cartwheel or something. I hope if, when, I'm ever famous for my writing, I measure up in person the way my friends do.
And speaking of, I've got writing to do...
*Incidently, there really is nothing like a lot of writers and authors hanging out, everyone sort of avoiding each others' eyes and stammering about nonsense, us being such a introverted lot. No wonder we all drink so much in social situations. We have World Sci Fi Con coming to Denver next summer, and our two local conferences really are nothing to sneeze at. Plus, we just found another one that sounds like a blast. Friggin' GRR Martin was there this year! Anyway, I'm presenting at one, after all, so it must be good, eh?
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