I Didn't Know Who He Was

One day, a long time ago when I was an art student at UCLA (it must have been around 1970) something interesting happened. The problem was, it wasn't until years later that I realized how special that occurrence was.
I was sitting in the ceramics room working on some project. There were a few other students in the room. I remember that day clearly. The Teaching Assistant for the lab rushed into the room. She was so excited and was saying, "He's coming here!, He's coming here!" We all looked up and said to each other, "Who's coming here?" Just then the door opened and the T.A. whispered, "He's here!"

We all continued working as the man entered. He was accompanied by some faculty member. They walked around the room, chatting and the guide was enthusiastically pointing out various aspects of the student's work. I remember the two men passed right by me. I did not know who this man was. I noticed he was well dressed and poised and had a quiet elegance about him. They strolled right past me. I did not hear him speak. They opened the door near to where I sat. That led to the big, glass blowing kilns outside on the patio. When they exited I asked the girl next to me, "Who is he?" She looked at me amazed and said,

"That's Mastroianni, Marcello Mastroianni".

Pity me. I did not know who he was even though he was very famous throughout Europe and the United States at the time. When I think back to that day I remember how he strolled by, so close to where I sat, nodding with approval as the guide showed him around.

"Life brings us many chance encounters. Sometimes we are ready for them, other times we are not."