I WAS SADDENED TODAY BY THE NEWS OF THE DEATH OF ACTOR JACK KLUGMAN. I HAD ONE ENCOUNTER WITH JACK, IT WAS ABOUT 25 OR 30 YEARS AGO. I WAS FILMING A PILOT AT UNIVERSAL, I FORGET WHICH ONE (I DID 9 PILOTS IN MY LIFE, ALMOST ALL BAD, BUT LET'S NOT GO THERE.)
I REMEMBER JACK COMING BY THE SET TO SAY HI TO OUR DIRECTOR AND I RAN OVER AND SHOOK HIS HAND - AND YOU KNOW, I MET THIS GUY FOR LIKE 30 SECONDS, AND HE WAS JUST SUCH A GREAT GUY, SO FRIENDLY. HE GAVE ME A BIG SMILE, HIS WARMTH RADIATED, SUCH A FRIENDLY, GENUINELY NICE GUY. THAT BRIEF MOMENT, THAT ENCOUNTER, I REMEMBER SO VIVIDLY, LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY.
IN THE GREAT "MEMORABLE" MOMENTS WE ALL HAVE IN THE SCRAPBOOKS OF OUR OWN MINDS, I REALIZE "TIME" IS NOT REALLY AN IMPORTANT FACTOR AT ALL.
IN CONTRAST TO THAT FLEETING MOMENT WITH JACK, I'VE KNOWN MANY PEOPLE FOR YEARS AND THEY REALLY LEFT ME WITH NO SPECIAL MEMORIES, NOTHING MUCH TO HOLD ON TO.
AND I KNOW, YOU ARE SAYING, "WELL, DAMN, YEAH, BUT JACK KLUGMAN IS A CELEBRITY". FAIR POINT, BUT IT WAS MORE THAN THAT - HE REALLY WAS JUST SUCH A COOL GUY, SUCH A NICE MAN. HE SAID SOMETHING NICE TO ME, SOMETHING FLATTERING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SHARE THAT, I APOLOGIZE.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A "CHRISTMAS MESSAGE", SO I GUESS I'M DIGRESSING. YOU KNOW, AT CHRISTMAS WE ALL GIVE GIFTS TO THE ONES WE LOVE. BUT SOME OF THE BEST GIFTS WE EVER GET HAVE NO WRAPPING PAPER, NO RIBBONS, NO TINSEL.
ALL OF US IN SHOW BUSINESS ARE SO LUCKY - NOT ONLY ARE WE VASTLY OVERPAID, BUT WE GET TO MEET SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE. CELEBRITIES, YES, BUT MANY OTHERS YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF.
THE REALLY GREAT MOMENTS IN LIFE ARE REALLY JUST THE MOMENTS WE SHARE WITH OTHERS. IT CAN BE ANYTHING, SOMETIMES A CONVERSATION, A MEAL TOGETHER, A HUG, A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE SHARED, WHATEVER.
UNLIKE A WRAPPED CHRISTMAS GIFT, THESE SPECIAL MOMENTS ARE USUALLY UNPLANNED - THEY JUST HAPPEN. I HAVE HAD MANY OF THESE GREAT MOMENTS WITH MANY OF YOU.
I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS. IF I HAVE MET YOU, IT IS A JOY I WILL ALWAYS HAVE - IF I HAVEN'T, IT IS MY LOSS.
JACK KLUGMAN MADE THAT MOMENT SO COOL, THAT TIME I MET HIM. AND WHEN I TELL YOU ABOUT THAT SPECIAL MOMENT I HAD IN MEETING HIM, I THINK, IN A WAY, I WAS TALKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS. THE MAGIC IN US ALL, THE GREATNESS WITHIN EVERY ONE OF US. THE LOVE WE ALL HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER - OUR NATURAL FRIENDSHIP WITH EACH OTHER.
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE?
HMMMMM........
MAYBE I WASN'T DIGRESSING AT ALL.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS!!!
EDDIE
