Thursday Thirteen #19 - Make a Baby Boomer Say "OUCH!"

Thirteen Celebrity Factoids that Make THE GAL HERSELF Really Feel Her Age Hi. I'm old. And these little news items have hammered that fact home. Now if you born in 1965 or later, you may look at these 13, yawn and say, "so what?" or "who?" But if you're a Baby Boomer, I bet you that at least one or two will make you say, "OUCH!" 1. Sally Field is a grandmother who promotes osteoporosis meds 2. Donnie Osmond is a grandfather 3. So is Ron Howard 4. Mare Winningham, the sweetheart/mascot of the “young adult drama” St. Elmo’s Fire, played Meredith’s stepmother on Grey’s Anatomy 5. JFK would have turned 90 on May 29 6. Luci Baines Johnson, whose wedding entranced me when I was a little girl, is now the grandmother of 8 7. “Gilligan, the Skipper, too, the Millionaire and his Wife” are all dead (“The Movie Star, the Professor and Mary Ann” are fine, though) 8. Jane Fonda had both hips replaced 9. Zoe Kravitz, daughter of Cosby kid Lisa Bonet, is 18 and will make her acting debut this year 10. “Charlie’s Girls,” the Manson Family hippie chicks who are doing time for the Tate-LoBianco murders, are all in their 60s 11. Mary Wilson of the Supremes had heart bypass surgery 12. The only surviving member of The Mama and the Papas, California Dreamin’ blonde surfer chick Michelle Phillips, now preserves her complexion by staying completely out of the sun 13. 17-year-old American Idol winner Jordin Sparks says she “grew up on the show.” Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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I think I'll settle for simply rich

Yes, I have loved Paul McCartney since I was 6. Once I understood what my virginity was, I dreamt of losing it to him. I know just about every song. I have read just about every word. I have seen every concert I could afford. Loving Paul has been my life avocation.

But I know our "relationship" is completely one-sided. When I say I'm going to be Lady Mac, I know that's not true. I know Paul doesn't know who I am. I am smart and cynical enough to know I never want to meet him because nobody could live up to 40+ years of foreplay. (Quick Quiz: On what golden oldie can you hear the words, "Oh no, not me. I'm not ready for that last disappointment?")

That said, I have met McCartney fans whose grasp on reality is more tenuous than mine.

One of them works here. We both picked up his new CD yesterday, and she's been in here just about every half hour to discuss another aspect of it. She flew to England expressly to attend the premiere of his classical music piece. She sent him a letter asking him to invest in her new small business venture, and was upset he never answered.

Another one spent Christmas morning IM-ing with Paul's son James. So she says. She is convinced it was really James because she kept peppering him with questions "only Paul could answer." Never mind that she doesn't know him and she could answer them.

I wonder what it's like to inspire such passion in complete strangers. It's definitely the downside of fame. I imagine it would be creepy. Paul's been famous more than half his life, so maybe he doesn't notice it anymore. But I'm not so sure he can afford to. After all,

• John Lennon was murdered by a stalker fan
• Cubs first baseman Eddie Waitkus was plugged by fan who loved him and believed he wanted to be traded to the Phillies (this story inspired The Natural)
• Rebecca Shaeffer of My Sister Sam opened her front door to be shot by a fan

When you consider the crazies, somehow "rich and famous" doesn't sound like that much fun. I think I'll settle for simply rich.