I think I just saw Neil Diamond in line at Starbucks here in Columbus, Ohio. He was Coming to America with a Grande Vanilla latte. I didn’t know for sure whether or not it was him but as I glanced down at the local paper,The Columbus Dispatch, sure enought his mug was right there on the front page announcing that this major musical icon is performing in town tonight.
It’s kind of weird standing behind someone at the creamer/sugar/stir station of a Starbucks realizing the guy who is actively adjusting his latte is the same guy who sang, “Song, Song Blue”, “Sweet Caroline” and “Forever in Blue Jeans.” For some of you younger readers of this blog suffice it to say that this dude was big back in my day (yes, I turned 43 last week and have earned the right to start using old dude phrases like “back in my day.”)
To be honest it’s nice to know that Neil buys his own lattes. You’d think that he has people for that. I know of Christian “celebrities” who have people, bodyguards and entourages. Actually once at this speaking event I was doing for another organization I was pushed up against a wall by an entourage of a “major star” in the Christian world. Am I bitter? A little bit. If Neil Diamond doesn’t need an entourage then why does this only-two-stations-on-the-dial-wanna-be-bigger-than-he-is Christian artist need one?
Anyway I’m off to do a youth leader luncheon at Dave and Busters. Who knows? Maybe Barbara Streisand will show up and do lunch with us!