A Tribute: the day I almost met Mr. Peter Jennings
Adding to a long list of famous people I almost met but didn't because of my obvliousness, I was once two feet away from Peter Jennings -- a man I have admired since I realized he was in journalism, a nice guy, a great reporter and Canadian (a surprisingly rare slice of demographic to which I aspire).
It was the end of a long night. I had been sitting in the U.S. Capitol covering President Bush's state of the union, which I also mostly missed because I was kind of dozing off in the uncomfortable press gallery seats fighting vainly to stay awake.
So finally when the long-winded speech mercifully ends, I stagger out into the street, rubbing my eyes, worrying someone noticed me (ie. those real reporters, as opposed to frauds like me who fall asleep on the single biggest news night in Washington).
As I hurry back to the newsroom, I notice this reporter walking in front of me wearing an exceedingly classy overcoat. It's dark charcoal grey and hangs handsomely from his tall frame.
And so, I start thinking to myself: Ah, if only I had a classy overcoat like that! I would be a serious reporter. I would be a respected, respectable reporter. The kind that doesn't fall asleep while the President of the United States gives a speech a few feet away.
Eventually, the reporters I'm walking with turn down another street, and I hear them start to talk in awed tones:
Wasn't that amazing!
He's taller than I thought he'd be!
I can't believe we just ran into Peter Jennings!
It was then that I realized I would need much more than an overcoat to become a real reporter--powers of observation for one. But if I ever do buy an overcoat, I know now what I'll be looking for: dark charcoal grey, just like the journalistic giant I almost met one night...the great Peter Jennings. | 
