So, I was on a (unsuccessful) family shoe buying trip in town the other day, when having had enough of looking at overpriced and unlovely shoes, told my husband that our son, Monkey Boy, and I would would wait outside the shop while he continued looking. So me and Monkey Boy step outside. He is climbing onto my bike when I look across the street and who down I see rocking down the road pulling his little wheelie suitcase? None other than Mr. Kofi Annan!I have always been a big fan of Mr. Annan (or the Kofster as I fondly call him), but despite working at the UN for years, have never actually seen him. I don't know why, but something about just seeing him walking down the street (I believe with is wife), pulling his little suitcase along, just like a normal joe-schmoe really touched me. No body guards. No media. No entourage. Just a man, his suitcase and his woman.
Though I tried to maintain my cool, I of course got very excited and made lots of "oh oh oh" sounds and went ripping into the store to drag my husband out to the street. He came out and we ogled the Kofster from across the street. I almost got up the nerve to cross the street and shake his hand but some other punter on a bike beat me to it. Then I thought, hell, leave the man alone. Leave him to his joe-schmoe suitcase and wife business.
Monkey Boy of course cottoned on to the excitement (must have been me hopping up and down and say "oh oh oh" that did it) and wanted to know who Kofi Annan was. I told him "A good man. A very good man who has helped a lot of people".
So there ya have it. Hollywood: you get silicone, botox and movie stars. Geneva: we get little wheelie suitcases and humanitarian superstars.
Not bad. Not bad at all.
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