My Forrest Gumpy Life: THIS is What I Mean!

With Leslie Stahl and Sen. Max Baucus

How is it that one person ends up in so many remarkable encounters? I've met so many marvelous people, many of whom you've heard of. My first real art show in 1978 yielded one modest sale: to Edward Albee the famous American playwright! What are the chances? Once Leslie Stahl, from 60 Minutes came to a sculpture show of mine which happened to be in her neighborhood. I've played Frisbee with one of our great classical guitarists, Julian Bream. Another fabulous guitarist of the 70's, Sandy Nassan, used to play for our family in the living room, tuning his guitar against the dial tone on our phone. I once had dinner with the widow of famous psychologist Rollo May. In fact she let me borrow the stamp of his signature that she used to gift people his books after his death. So I had Rollo May sign my journal in several places!

Rosa Parks, civil rights giant

I've met some really pivotal people of our time, like Archbishop Desmond Tutu (more about him later), pianist Van Cliburn (when I was 8), comedian Buddy Hackett (who did tricks for us in the swimming pool), NYC Ballet principle dancer Gelsey Kirkland (who said I had beautiful legs!), cleaning out Joan Baez's house (yes, I have some stuff), getting photographed with Jane Goodall, having a conversation with Andrew Weber and Tim Rice about JC Superstar, not to mention a bunch of political leaders like Joe Biden, Ted Kennedy, George McGovern (friend of my folks') and many others. Much of that was in conjunction with some art event, but often it was a chance meeting, like parking in Glacier Park and emerging next to Dustin Hoffman, one of my favorite actors, or standing at the bottom of the Ski Jump at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics 2002, when star jumper Simon Amman roared up after his gold metal jump and borrowed my pen to sign autographs.

Soviet diplomat Yuri Dubinin.

If I were writing a society column all these names would be no big deal, but how does this happen to a skinny sculptor way off in Montana? I've been so blessed with remarkable encounters that going back through my files I find many that even I've forgotten about! Like finding a record of 1960's protest singer Melvina Reynolds screeching out her fecund melodies on our hearth. I'd even forgotten that my high school rock band featured for a bit a guitarist who later became well known in jazz, Vernon Black, not to mention our keyboardist my good friend Bob Packwood, who later toured with Canada's biggest band, Blue Rodeo.

Biden, Hollins and Montana Logging & Ballet Co.

Then there were the times I shared a stage with people like Joan Rivers, Mark Russell, Arlo Guthrie, Judy Collins,  Andrew Parrot, Garrison Keillor, Joe Biden... and I'm sure others I can't just yet recall. But what a lark! How do these things happen? Do other people have encounters like these? What gives?