January 13, 2009
The 5 People You’d Like to Meet
Over the holidays, I got to spend some time with my husband’s awesome family and the one moment with them that really stands out happened during, of all things, a car ride to Sacramento. My sister-in-law Beth posed the fascinating question, Who are the five people alive today that you’d like to meet?
I tossed out a few people quickly who are definites, but since that moment I’ve been revising and reworking my list in my head. Eliminating dead people knocks out a huge swath of people I’d love to meet and after you let in a few knuckleheads, suddenly it’s hard to keep the list to 20, much less to 5.
The only person everyone in the car had on their lists was Barack Obama–and let me assure you that a wide variety of political parties were represented. I guess Americans are always intrigued about the incoming president.
My other definites were Annie Lamott and Ian McEwan. From there…things got murky. I really want to meet Tina Fey because she’s so smart, and funny, and cool and a working mom and I love 30 Rock and I sort of want to be her, but does that mean I won’t have room to meet Prince William? I know! A curve ball! But don’t you think he seems kind? Plus, he’s seen a lot in his short life and don’t you think meeting “a royal” would be, kind of, life changing? But what if he’s sort of vapid? Maybe he’d only want to talk about…argyle patterns and polo horses and ice creams! He would pluralize ice cream!
Sigh. Okay, so Tina Fey then. And Dolly Parton…and Thomas Keller. No, wait. Scratch that.
While I’m deciding let’s talk about who you’d like to meet.
–May
PS No cheating! Only 5 people and they have to be alive.
Barack Obama
Peter Carey
Emma Thompson (from the brief correspondence I had with her — and especially under its circumstances — some years ago, she is just about the kindest person one would ever have a right to hope to meet)
Annie Dillard
Dave Eggers
(Others would include Wim Wenders, Steven Spielberg, Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Cate Blanchett, Shane Claiborne…)
Nelson Mandela, Barach Obama (of course), Bono, The Queen (couldn’t she tell you some amazing stories) and Marian Keyes (actually I have met her and she is hilariously funny). With all of these people I’d love to sit down and have a meal (and an Irish Whiskey or two with Bono) and chat. Of course because this is fantasy I would be witty, intelligent and amusing as well.
What a fun thing to think about!
Frederick Buechner, Barack Obama, Anne Lamott, Jimmy Carter, and Bailey White.
President Bush-I would like to know what was going through his head during 9/11.
Tom Brokaw/Baraba Walters- they probably know more secrets than Bush!
George Clooney
Reese Witherspoon
Bill Gates
I love these kinds of questions, but I have anxiety attacks as I try to choose the answer. What will my answer say about me? That’s what I stress over. I want to meet Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, and Will Smith to talk about Hollywood especially but also parenting and marriage with Will Smith - that dude (and his wife) has some ideas. I also want to meet my agent, Holly Root.
(You’d think I would care about how dorky that sounds, but I don’t). And for the last one, I think I’ll choose Barack Obama as well. Who wouldn’t want a sit-down with the president?
Well, you and Anne, OF COURSE. Then there’s Tina Fey and Sarah Palin (this must happen at the same time so I can guess who is who), and Jesus, the only one who I feel somewhat certain will want to see me too
David Bowie. (I’ve wanted to meet him since I first had a crush on him at age 13…er, a number of years ago)
Barack Obama
Jimmy Carter (have always admired him for his compassion and not being afraid to speak the truth)
I cannot think of 3 more at the moment!
Okay, taking Barry O as a given on just about everyone’s list (go loop holes!), today’s five, in no particular order, are:
Frederich Buechner
Jamie Oliver
Ira Glass
Sufjan Stevens
Charlie Kaufman
I’ve been thinking about this all day, but can’t decide on 5! I’ll think some more…
Shirin Ebadi to discuss her life in Iran, Donald Miller to talk about story, Oprah to try and figure out, Christy Nockels to talk about music and kids, and Lauren Winner to talk about writing.
That is my list for today.
I’d also like to meet Tina Fey (I was pleased to read in Vanity Fair that she holds my same view on strip clubs, among other things), I’ll mix things up by saying MICHELLE Obama, Maya Angelou (who I almost met once–we were just feet apart), Tom Hanks, and John Krasinski.
I’d love to meet Laura Bush, Tom Hanks, Bono, Stephenie Meyer, and Anne Hathaway. It was tough to narrow that down to five!
Wow. What a great picture of Tina Fey! Here are mine, not in order of importance and all for different reasons:
1. Jesus (He’s alive, right?)
2. General Petraeus
3. Anne Tyler
4. Sarah Palin
5. Daniel Craig
OK. Accepting the loophole that everyone wants to meet Obama, my list still looks very similar to May’s. I’ll go with Tina Fey (I want to be her), Dolly Parton (she’s a wise soul who doesn’t take herself too seriously), Stephen Colbert (I want to marry him), Bill Gates (the ultimate nerd/philanthropist), and Kim Jong Il (because he’s completely crazy).
Oh, and Serenity, Holly is fabulous
I think anonymous is Anne. Anne? Is that you? WHO ELSE WOULD SAY KIM JONG IL???
Okay, since I invented the contest, I’m adding two new rules. You loophole finders, you!
Jesus does not count–unless you believe Jesus is merely human and also in the flesh today. (If you do think these things, you must include his publicist’s name in your response.)
And Barack Obama has to count as one.
Barack Obama
Laura Bush
Billy Graham
Steven Colbert
Anderson Cooper
Not necessarily in that order.
Yeah, you’re all kicking yourself for not choosing Anderson Cooper, aren’t you? Ha!
Oh whoops. Yep, Anonymous is me. Sorry about that. What, you guys don’t want to meet a crazy dictator too?
I forgot Paul McCartney! I think I want to get rid of Tina Fey (sorry Tina, I’m a real fan; I even saw Baby Mama in the theater and that was the worst movie ever), but Paul McCartney was a Beatle, and that beats Mean Girls.
I totally forgot about Frederick Buechner! And I’d put Cate Blanchett above Annie Dillard, I think. Buechner in place of either Carey or Eggers…
Jason: In place of Eggers, for sure.
And loop holes were made to be exploited! Fie on Barack Obama counting as his own inside-the-box spot. He’s totally outside the box!
PS: I add Bobcat Goldthwait to my list, subbing out Charlie Kaufman if necessary.
Actually I sort of want to meet a crazy dictator - I hear he hired a Pizza chef so you might get to have a good meal with him (while millions starve outside, but that’s another story).
Ok, this is my “first draft” list! What a great question.
Camilla, Duchess of Windsor - She started the whole royal bruhaha! Hopefully she won’t talk about hunting and corgis the whole time.
Niall Ferguson - my favorite “hot” historian - how economics shape history
JK Rowling - her imagination, folks! And is she really as cool in person? I hope so.
Condoleeza Rice - single, has a PhD, Secretary of State during a really difficult time. ‘Nuff said.
Sean Connery - He could say anything, I just want to listen to his accent. Hopefully I won’t drool.
5 is really hard! So many more to pick. Kim Jong Il is fun, but I think I’d prefer to meet Robert Mugabe if there is a crazy dictator category. If Camilla wasn’t free then I’d pick Angelina Jolie - the woman we all love to hate. What is she REALLY like? What’s it like being a mom to ALL THOSE KIDS and travelling the world too. It’s a tough call. I might have to kick Camilla off.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Barack Obama
Jordan Catalano….um, I mean Jared Leto
Yeah, I think I need to think about this more.
Fun topic! Mine are…
1. Francine Rivers (author)
2. Jennifer Knapp (singer)
3. Natalie Portman
4. Rosario Dawson
5. Donald Miller (author)
No Obama for me, thanks, because I don’t think he’s going to be relaxed and comfortable for the next dozen years. Maybe when we can split a Fat Tire and he can let his hair down. It’s true… I’ll admit it…I’m looking for a fun party where I can just listen to ‘em talk and watch.
Joel McHale {Talk Soup host}
Dave Matthews
Ira Glass
Bill Cosby
Jim Dale {Harry Potter/Pushing Daisies narrator}
Not to make you jealous but I’ve totally met Dolly AND Tina. Not sure who my five would be, but I do know George Clooney would be on there. As would Neil Patrick Harris. Random, I know.
Ooh…
Carrie Underwood-to see what the HECK was going through her head when she wrote, “Last Name,”
Adam Young-so talented, it’s almost scary. Almost.
Taylor Swift-everybody says she is such an interesting person.
And… Maybe… Reese Witherspoon? I don’t know…
Perhaps Logan Lerman, not that I could think of anything remotely intelligent to say when within 500 feet of him…
Possibly Rick Riordan, the genius…
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, so I can sock both of them off a cliff… And maybe the same fate to Stephenie Meyer.