I was walking through the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas this week when I ran into, almost literally, Dolly Parton. She was signing autographs for fans and I was just trying to through the crowd and into my car before rush hour closed down the streets around the hotel. Ms. Parton was filming a movie along with Sandra Bullock at the Venetian and she was enjoying time with the "common folk" around her. I almost missed her because she is so short. I would guess 5'1" or maybe 5'2". As my 6'1" frame loomed over her I said, "Excuse me." And then, "Oh! Ms. Parton, I love your work!" and shook her hand.
She was very gracious and when I told her I just finished doing a wedding here in the hotel, she asked me about it. She also asked me about what it was like pastoring a church in Las Vegas or "Sin City." I told her Las Vegas didn't invent sin; it just came up with a way to package it and sell it to the rest of the world. She pulled me by the arm to the side and we sat on one of the over-stuffed chairs in the lobby of the hotel where they were preparing to shoot another scene. We talked for 10 to 15 minutes and she was curious about Las Vegas and what happens here and especially about the churches here.
It was my choice to end the conversation, I didn't want to dominate her time or seem like a stalking fan, but she was so easy to talk to. It wasn't until I was getting into my truck in the parking lot that I realized. "I just talked with Dolly Parton for 15 minutes!" It seemed like I was talking to my sister, it was that easy.
People are people. Some people think they are more than just people, but they're not. I really appreciated Ms. Parton for being a real person and not trying to be more than that. When I left she gave me a hug and thanked me ... I thanked her and then watched her go back to the rest of her fans to pose for pictures and sign autographs. Life went on again, I got stuck in traffic and it took me twice as long to get home, but I didn't mind, I just had a brush with the famous. If I wasn't a big fan before, I am now ... I think I have to go buy a new CD.