Celebrity Sightings

I have discovered a new popular activity here in L.A.-- celebrity sightings. The attitude towards it is a lot like going to a wildlife area and spotting animals. Some animals are common, others are rare. Some spook easily, others are gregarious and interactive. The reaction of people when they spot celebrities is much the same as well. Some people make a lot of noise and move towards the celebrity, and this inevitably scares the celebrity away. But most people try to be sly about it. They pretend to not notice the celebrity and talk in quiet and hushed tones while 'casually' keeping an eye on the celebrity the entire time. The thrill of seeing a celebrity is a lot like the thrill of seeing big game in its natural habitat.

My most recent celebrity sighting was Steve Carrell of '40-year Old Virgin' fame. I was at the grocery store in my regular people neighborhood on the way towards check-out when Steve Carrell walked into the grocery store. I noticed him right away, but nobody else seemed to notice him. He walked towards the canned goods with a confused 'my wife usually goes to the grocery store so I have no idea where anything is in this place' sort of look. As soon as I checked-out and got back to my car, I called people to let them know that I had seen Steve Carrell at the grocery store. I had just experienced something special.