Brian Brinkley

Greetings faithful reader...

I know that lust is wrong. I know that I am writing this with the risk of you thinking less of me or my commitment to my marriage...however stick with me...I promise it will be OK.

I have been asked by a couple of people about my post a couple of days ago. They wanted to know how I met a couple of the people in my famous people list. Specifically, Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley. It's true. I met them. At the same event. Many years ago.

To set the stage, you need to understand one thing about me. I kinda had a thing for Christie Brinkley. You know...the girl in the Ferrari in the Vacation movies. Don't be shocked. My wife knows about it. I wouldn't reveal a deep dark secret on my blog that she hasn't heard yet... would I? She was just of those young ladies that I thought was kinda cute. (Read that as hottie and you are getting closer).

Anyway, enough about my young heartbeats....Mindy and I were at a Richard Marx concert (yep...the dude who sang "Don't Mean Nothin"). It was probably Mindy's first concert and I had seen Richard Marx about 3 times already. So, we hear that on the third row, Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley were sitting and enjoying the concert. He was in town for an extended engagement and Richard Marx actually joined him onstage the night before. Both were still happily married and everything was cool.

About halfway through the concert, I see a short guy go jogging up the ramp to the lobby. I told Mindy, "Hey, that looked like Billy Joel" and followed him out. Sure enough. It WAS the piano man. I shook his hand and told him that I was a fan. You know, geeky stuff. The kind of remarks that a guy like Billy Joel hears everyday.

Time passed. I knew that if Billy left, Christie was not far behind. Sure enough. A little while later...my imaginary girlfriend was leaving as well....The only thing that stood between Christie and me was her bodyguard...oh yeah, and Mindy. She was sitting on the aisle. I had a choice to make. What was I going to do? I did what any other rational man would do. As she passed our aisle, I lunged toward her. I reached out my hand to touch her arm and stop her.

I realize now that this was a bad move. I had just dived past my beloved for a shot at ticking off Christie Brinkley and having her body guard play the Banana Boat Song on my head with my own right arm. I reached out and time froze.

I touched her. Instantly my world became brighter. The birds sang just a little bit prettier. My dog and my cat suddenly put aside their differences and settled. The planets lined up and the price of gas went down. The world was put right again.

No, actually Mindy was gracious. She acted like she understood my stupidity...but to this day, I think I lost some cool points somewhere in that mental notebook she carries. Mrs. Joel stopped graciously, shook my hand, said hello...and kept going.

Sometimes in life you just have to go for it. If there is a moral in that story, here it is:

Mindy is a dang lucky girl.

BV