dying is easy comedy is hard

I suppose many folks have stories of brushes with celebrities besides myself, some of them I am not even sure of their names anymore. There was a Jewish comedian, very famous at the time, quite often on the Toast of the Town, Ed Sullivan's shew. His name was Myron Cohen I think, I'll search it out. We talked for some time in an empty concert style night club. I guess he was checking out the arena for his act. He started as a dress salesman for a manufacturer which I just happened to work in as a high school student picking orders for 50 or 75 cents an hour after school. He told Jewish stories with a strong accent. My instincts in these situations was to talk about matters at hand, no questions about famous people he knew, what it was like to be on TV, ask for an autograph especially. I would not bother anyone unless the unlikely event I had one of their books. I have a reverence for books out of the natural. I cannot throw a book away, I have to give it to someone who probably will do it for me. So Myron Cohen and I talked about the oddments of the daily events we found ourselves in that day. I no longer recall. I think of him however and wonder what happened to him after all these years. I think he appreciated me not telling him my favorite joke, asking about his, and talking about comedy, what it was like to be on national tv. We talked casually, like good acquaintances who would see each other again, and easily drifted apart. This was around 50 years ago, 1970s perhaps. I am not a celebrity chaser or autograph person, but have had a few separate short private talks with WMF Buckley for one as time unfolded and I acquired few autographed books. Missed many also, by Ricci Martin as one example. Also enjoyed a quick few words with Walter Brennan. Felt for a second the brief sensation I might be in a movie with him. He was the same in person as in the movies, and that was a fact.