August 28, 2004
Crush
My Saturday mornings somehow lack luster without hearing Scott Simon’s NPR Weekend Edition and its accompanying news analysis with Daniel Schorr. His acutely perceptive essays, the interviews, the human-interest stories, the subtle, on-topic musical segués, and more, challenge and elevate our common humanity and remind me of how essential is the place of such radio in it.
One of Simon’s essay/reflections was about a onetime interview with the British actress Diana Rigg and how he was so utterly charmed and fascinated by her that he could hardly attend to the assignment at hand. I had the opportunity to meet him in person not long after hearing that.
I introduced myself and instantly told him how very much I’d appreciated that story and how I, as well, had had an incurable crush on Ms Rigg ever since her role as Mrs Peel in “The Avengers.” His quick wit was never more palpable, for immediately, he responded, “Ah, that’s it! All the while I was interviewing her, she seemed distant, distracted. Now, I know why. She was thinking of you!”
I keep waiting for a rerun.