I was sitting in the departures lounge at LaGuardia earlier this week, talking to my mom on my cellphone (quietly, I need not add). Suddenly, I said, “Oh my – there’s Ted Koppel.”
“Really?” Mom asked.
“Really.”
“Well, tell him I said hello,” Mom said flippantly.
Whoever was in charge of the knobs and levers of the Universe that day was feeling a bit puckish, I guess, because I was seated across the aisle from Mr. Koppel. Handling a huge sheaf of newspapers, he dropped a section, and I picked it up and handed it to him. He thanked me with a smile and I said, “You’re welcome. By the way, my mother says hello.”
He gave me that slightly worried, “Oh dear – should I know you?” look.
“Don’t worry – you don’t know her. I was just speaking with her on the phone and mentioned that I saw you and she jokingly said to say hello.”
He smiled and said, “Oh – what’s her name?”
“Carole.”
“Well, tell Carole hello from me.”
Nice to know that The Giant Head of Ted Koppel really does have a sense of humor.
And what did your mom say when you told her?
She cracked up. She was really tickled. Also, surprised.
That’s fabulous!
I love that! A real person! I walked past him at Montgomery Mall a couple of years back and then spent about 15 minutes thinking “why do I know that guy? Who is that guy? Why can’t I figure out why I know him???”
I didn’t chase him down to let him know I’d figured it out, though. That woulda’ been awkward…right?
@tlivesay True story – I met him once (very briefly). He was a delight! https://t.co/eVcIUR33yo
Oh! And then there was the time I told Ted Koppel that my mom said hi.
https://t.co/eVcIUR33yo
Probably Ted Koppel. I saw him in the departure lounge in LaGuardia…
https://t.co/eVcIUR33yo https://t.co/NF3FquCKFL