I Can Be Such a Child

There are people out there, who, when they discover my age, say, "no way."

I'm 48.

When those people express their disbelief, I have a pat answer: "I know. I get that a lot. It's because I act like I'm 12."

The evidence of my childish behavior lies in some of the posts I've blogged in the past. To wit, my posts about my Top 5 List. Like the Ross of the 90s show, Friends, my wife and I devised a list of the five celebrities, who, if given the opportunity to sleep with, would be allowed to without any repercussions toward our relationship.

Lori kept her list private. She's smart. And mature. And, I don't think she really made a list.

I, on the other hand, not only made a list, I told people about it. Unlike the fictional Ross, I didn't laminate the list on a wallet-sized card: worse, I posted the list on my blog. I started following three of the five on Twitter (I don't think the other two are on Twitter). And, I tweeted links to my blog to those three unsuspecting women.

Yes, that was creepy. I know. But I'm harmless, mostly.

Of those three, I know that two of them have read the post. One of them even responded to the post with a comment. That made my day (more proof that I can behave like a 12-year-old).

On Canada Day, Sarah Slean came to Ottawa to perform a free concert at the NAC. She was accompanied by the NAC Orchestra and the 60-member Unisong Choir. It was a first-come, first-seated event.

This is as close as I managed to get.

Shot with my 50mm lens, the magnification is 1:1.

Because photography was allowed (or, at least, it wasn't discouraged), I switched lenses and got closer.

Having been to three other Sarah Slean concerts, this was the closest I've ever sat. For me, this was as close as I thought I'd ever get to one of my Top 5.

But it got better.

After the show, as we were heading out, we saw a sign that said Sarah was going to come out to the theatre foyer, where she would greet fans and sign autographs. We hung around, letting the kids pick out a poster and one of the few CDs of hers that we didn't already have.

When Ms. Slean came to the foyer, we applauded and got into the autograph lineup. I handed Lori my iPhone and my brother-in-law my D-SLR, and asked them to get ready to snap photos.

When it was our turn to approach her, my youngest handed Sarah the poster, and gave her name. "What a pretty girl," Sarah said, and she looked up at me. She then began to sign, but looked up at me again."

I extended my hand. "Hi, Sarah, I'm Ross Brown."

She smiled and replied, taking my hand, "We're Twitter buddies." Yes, Sarah Slean and I follow each other and have exchanged tweets. But for her to call me her Twitter buddy made my heart race.

Just like a little kid.

While she finished signing the poster, we chatted, but I have no memory of what we said. I was self-conscious of the fact that while she looked fabulous, I was in my Canada Day shirt and shorts, having worn these clothes all day, outdoors, where I had sweat in the summer heat. I thought to myself, I must stink. Also, I hadn't shaved, and I was sporting the worst hair cut I've had in years, if not ever. But I summoned up the courage to ask: "Would it be all right if I had my picture taken with you?"

"Of course," she said.

Beauty and the Beast

Did I talk to her about my Top 5 List? Are you crazy?

I may be childish sometimes, but unlike Ross from Friends, I didn't make any proposition. On the contrary: I thought, Sarah Slean can't be on my list any more. We're Twitter buddies. We're virtual friends. I can't sleep with a friend. (Also, we stayed until most of her fans left, and we met Sarah's parents, who came to get her at the end.)

And just like that, my list crumbled apart.

Like every child, we must all grow up at some point.

But if Kate Kelton came to town...