One of the websites I visit frequently is called Women on the Web. http://www.wowowow.com

It has interesting articles by interesting women. Contributors are: Liz Smith, Julia Reed, Lesley Stahl, Lily Tomlin, Cynthia McFadden, Marlo Thomas, Joni Evans and 8 other contributors.

Some of the pieces are just plain fun, others are quite serious. But there are lots of people who make comments on these posts and often the people making the comments are just as interesting as the contributors.

Recently there was a question posed:

Who is the most famous person you’ve ever met? What were the circumstances?

There were lots of interesting answers, from presidents to princesses, and all sorts of Hollywood royalty in between. Fame, in whatever capacity, seems to make a lasting impression on us. Here’s the comment that I wrote:

Many years ago I spent the weekend with Senator Fritz Hollings (D, SC) and his wife Peatsy. I was starting a non-profit women’s center in Charleston, SC and Peatsy agreed to be an honorary board member. She so believed in the cause, a friend and I were invited to their home in Washington. After we arrived, one of Senator Hollings’ aides gave us a tour of the Capitol bldg. and we joined Senator Hollings for dinner nearby. He and his wife were lovely people and very kind.

I remember there were lots of photographs in their den of all the famous people they had been with. Right out in front was a photo of Peatsy and the Pope. I still like the way that rolls off the tongue.

In their guest bathroom they had absolutely the greatest towels that I’d ever used. A friend kidded me afterwards: “You spent the weekend with one of the 200 most powerful people in the world, and what impressed you were their towels?” Well, they were really great towels.

You never know what’s going to make an impression on you or someone else. Perhaps the lesson is a simple one: 

never underestimate the power of a really great towel.

Tagged as: Cynthia McFadden, famous person, Joni Evans, Julia Reed, Lesley Stahl, Lily Tomlin, Liz Smith, Marlo Thomas, Pope, Senator Hollings, Women on the Web