My line of work has enabled me over the years to meet some celebrities. Almost all for just a fleeting moment, but there’s a few stories with a select few that eventually I might write about.

One of my favorite stories happened totally by chance. I was working, but in the capacity that I was in New York City on some sales calls and I was simply walking along. It was near Central Park and I was about to turn onto 57th Street when I encountered a gentleman I recognized immediately to be the voice of God himself, James Earl Jones.

Mr. Jones has provided what I feel to be the single greatest moment in cinematic history. His “People Will Come” monologue from “Field of Dreams”. Go ahead and label me a cheese ball but ever since the first time I saw the film and experienced the soliloquy nothing in my opinion has topped it.

So there he is, literally looking at me as I head right toward his static position on the corner looking for a cab. Confusing my recognition of him as a celebrity and as if I knew him as a friend I somehow blurted out…

“Hello Mr. Jones, I’m a big fan of your work. I think your voice is so great, that if you ever released a cd of yourself reading the phone book I’d probably buy it”
He looked at me sideways and said thank you. I shook his hand and continued on, smiling stupidly to myself thinking…

People will come Ray
They’ll come to Iowa
For reasons they can’t even fathom
They’ll turn into your driveway
Not knowing for sure why they’re doing it
They’ll arrive at your door
As innocent as children
Longing for the past
Of course – we won’t mind if you look around – you’ll say
It’s only twenty dollars per person
They’ll pass over the money without even thinking about it
For it is money they have
And peace they lack
And they’ll walk out to the bleachers
And sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon
And they’ll find they have reserved seats
Somewhere along the baselines
Where they sat when they were children
And they’ll cheer their heroes
And watch the game
It’ll be as if they’ve dipped themselves in magic waters
The memories will be so thick
They’ll have to brush them away from their faces
People will come Ray
The one constant through all the years
Has been baseball
America is ruled by it like an army of steamrollers
It’s been erased like a blackboard
Rebuilt
And erased again
But baseball has marked the time
This field, this game
Is a part of our past Ray
It reminds us of all that once was good
And it could be again
People will come Ray
People will most definitely come