This photo brought back a long-forgotten memory.
I met Chunk.
As in The Goonies' Chunk, a.k.a Jeff Cohen.
He was a counselor at a day-camp I attended when I was in the sixth grade.
No, not this camp. This one was called Meadow Oaks and it was in Calabasas, California. And although it is quite difficult to imagine, I was actually tormented more at Meadow Oaks. Maybe it was because it was my first exposure to public school kids. Or maybe it was because I wore plaid shorts and rhinestone-studded moccasins.
I'll always remember this one girl named Liz -- she had looks like a model and a stone-cold heart. Her likely day-camp itinerary:
1) Ride horses
2) Check makeup
3) Flip hair
4) Make Mena lose the will to live
5) Work on lanyard
This girl was probably the meanest person I've ever met.
I think I feel another "Sad Mena" cartoon brewing.
Well anyway, back to Chunk.
He was my big brush with fame.
All I can say is that I'm glad our own worth is not measured by the caliber of fame of the celebrities we can say we were lucky enough to meet.
Despite growing up in the world's entertainment capital, my movie star sightings were always Valley-ized. Oddly, my church was the hub of my own private Hollywood.
It's a Living's Ann Jillian was a regular parish member. And 70s personality and Carol Burnett Show regular, Lyle Waggoner would serve as the emcee at St. Mel's silent auctions.
Oh, and I think Colin Hanks went to my grade school for a year but I'm not sure.
Don't you think it's time for me to write my tell-all memoir?
* Who have you met?
