2001-05-16 - 9:14 a.m.

So, I was going through my mail the other day and came across a notice that made my heart go pitter-pat! On June 9th at noon Dan Rather will be giving a little talk and signing copies of his new book at a bookstore not too far from me!

This excites me more than is probably healthy. I LOVE Dan Rather! He was my first crush as a small child and I still adore him beyond all reason. The very idea of getting to see him in person has me all a flutter.

I am already trying to decide what to wear. So far I am coming up blank. I think that I may need to go shopping to buy something that will be up to snuff. After all, I want to look good for the man who has influenced my life and views about the world for more than 25 years.

Seriously, Dan Rather gave me the tools to at least know that there was another world out there even when I was in kindergarten. Evidently, I impressed the heck out of my teacher because I knew who Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin were, enough that she asked my parents how I knew. They told her it was because I watched the news with them every night.

When I was in grade school, other girls were kissing their posters of Shaun Cassidy and I was dreaming of going on location with my Danny-Boy. Yes, I got teased for "being in love" with him. I never cared. Heck, I still get teased about it. When I excitedly showed Cor the clipping, he just shook his head and asked if I was going to pack a bag and run away with him.

I am really hoping that I will be able to say a word or two to him while he is signing my book. I want to thank him for opening my eyes to events that happen in the rest of the world and sparking an interest that has never died. That interest is what led me to find out why things happened, and that led me directly to history. So, I guess if it weren't for him I wouldn't be heading into my dream career.

Wow!

I am giddy. In 24 days I will finally get to see my Danny-Boy!

Until Next Time...

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