Jackie O.

Jackie O. and i had a moment. It was about 17 years ago, I was skating down 5th avenue near the Metropolitan Museum on the sidewalk. I guess it was her building that i was passing, because all of a sudden she comes flowing, all regal-like, out the front door and straight into my path. I swerved out in front of her to avoid a collision. It was not really a very close call, but she saw me and stopped to let me pass. i smiled big as i realized who she was. when i actually passed her i was about 3 feet from her so that i could literally smell her perfume. the most amazing thing about the incident was that she looked right at me and she gave me a big warm smile and a slight nod.

needless to say, it was a brief but glorious moment when this almost mythical legend of a woman gazed upon me and smiled in such warm, personal approval. she could have given me the stink eye because i forced her to yield way on her own block, but she didn't. maybe she liked skaters, or maybe she was in a good mood, or maybe she was used to dare-devil boys in her life, i will never know what about my intrusion she liked. but just having this brief shared moment made me feel very much alive. somehow, more so then the second before. before that, Jackie O. was too big to be aware of little old me. but when that happened, i grabbed a small little snapshot of her grand life and it was just between me and her. the fact that she seemed almost grateful for it, and her eyes really looked into mine, it really had the affect of making me feel like i had just received a seal of approval from the white house, and/or the queen of Camelot, Guinevere. it was like skating through a fountain spraying class, class, class all over me.