Paul Newman

I was at my Dad's house in Westport, CT when I got the news about Paul Newman's death. Newman was a long-time Westport resident, and hearing of his passing reminded me of the two times I actually interacted with him, and how he made me feel not only at ease, but rather special.

The first time I was in 8th grade and I was buying a Foghat Album for my "boyfriend." I was at such an awkward stage of my life...not knowing how to handle having a boyfriend, and not really knowing who the band Foghat was. (That was a pretty heavy band for a girl who liked James Taylor and Carly Simon.) And the guy I was "going out with" wore a leather jacket and seemed oh-so-much cooler than I. I had the sinking sensation I was in over my head. And as I was debating which album to buy, I noticed there was a man standing near me, and I looked up and into the incredible blue eyes of Paul Newman. He noticed me and asked, "How are you?" Just three little words, to which I mentally responded, "Oh, my God! You're Paul Newman!" In reality, I just said, "I'm fine, how are you?" while turning bright red. I think he made some quick small talk about not being able to find what he was looking for, but I really wasn't paying attention because I was weak in the knees. I remember he was really nice, and talking with him for a few minutes made me forget, momentarily, that I had no idea what I was doing on the dating scene, and that I was not nearly cool enough to be with this guy. In the end, I bought the wrong album and my boyfriend returned it and soon broke up with me to go out with a much cooler girl, who is now a lesbian, by the way. But the whole relationship was worth it because I got to meet Paul Newman!

The second time I met Paul Newman was when I was in college; I was a receptionist at a country club. Mr. Newman, in his dashing tennis whites, was stood-up by his tennis date and needed a phone. I let him into my little reception area and he made his call. Yes, I stood near him in very close proximity for a few minutes. He was grateful for the phone usage and I had a nice story to go home with that day. Again, his eye contact and charming smile were incredibly disarming.

I don't know if many famous movie stars today make the people they interact with actually feel better about themselves. Who's to say? I just know that I met Paul Newman twice, and both times he made me feel special. I think he made everyone feel special, and that, in addition to his phenomenal acting and philanthropy, is a real talent! His charming amd inspiring presence on this earth will be greatly missed.

For more on Paul Newman in Westport, here's a nice article from the Boston Globe.