Peter Mayhew RIP (Patreon)

Around 2004 I worked a friends booth at a local comic con. It was a long Saturday, the year before the con moved to a location more suited to the amount of people attending and to give venders more space. Needless to say at the end of the day the nearest places to eat and stay where packed. Our hotel room was booked solid months in advance being the only one with in walking distance to the con. The two places to eat overflowed with hungry people. One place sat perhaps 75 people, far from what the outpouring crowds from the closed for the night con could handle. The other was a local brewery/restaurant. Standing in line with two very good friends and only wanting to eat after a very long day, down a couple beers and crash in the hotel beds as soon as possible, I didn't pay much attention to the line behind us.

 We finally make it to the doors where a frantic and overwhelmed staff is doing an all  star job of dealing with an out the door waiting crowd. The woman asked how many we needed to seat and we said three. She said a table for four was open but wondered if we wouldn't mind having a single seat join us. Nodding we shrugged and was fine with it. We had been and still where surrounded by the unwashed masses of nerds. Our kind of people. (Though bathing is still important. Keep that in mind when attending cons please.) The woman looked over our shoulder and asked someone behind us if he wouldn't mind sharing a table with us. A deep voice said yes and that was when we turned around. The waitress was already trying to lead us to the table. Our shock and awe was clearly falling from the giggling murmurers among the three of us. The gentleman was Peter Mayhew. We all agreed not to talk Star Wars while eating unless it was brought up by him and tried to hold back out fanboy excitement. 

 We enjoyed a meal with him and had a great chance to chat with a star. Paid for his meal and shook his hand before we gave in to our geekyness. He told us to visit his booth for autographs and pictures the next day. 

 Sunday found each of us visiting him as we had a chance and getting a photo and an autograph with him. He was a true highlight to my life for sure and an influence to me as a public figure. Pleasant, giving and warm hearted in my eyes he was what I thought celebrities always acted. (That was shattered after meeting others I will not get into here.) It shaped my personable relaxed way I try to interact with fans or people who just want a moment of time to let me know how much they like or dislike what I do. I try to have a metaphorical dinner with them and give the attention and open mind to whoever I communicate with.

Tonight I am shattered a bit with his passing. It really does make the night more special to me as I lost his autograph and picture in a house fire not long after that weekend. The last time I saw him was at the same con, in a much larger venue and he was just walking the con and recognized me. He placed a big hand on my shoulder and asked,"Did you buy me dinner a few years ago at that brewery south of here?". For him to remember someone from a brief contact and see me again made my weekend a second time. I've nodded his way a couple times since then when he was being mobbed by a line of photo and or autograph seekers. 

 I know it's nothing important. I was just a face in the crowd he recognized and nothing more but it did effect me. The world is a little smaller and darker tonight with the loss of the giant friendly man.