Living In Venice -or- Still Crazy After All These Years
In the 1970’s after I graduated from college I was in the U.S. Army stationed in Frankfurt, West Germany. I spent almost three years living there, drinking the great German wine, eating bratwurst, travelling around Europe, and taking graduate level economics courses from the European campus of Ball State University. I sometimes helped my German friends publish an anti-Vietnam War newspaper called “FTA With Pride.”
For many years after that I lived back in America, raising a family and working my way up the corporate ladder. I lived in Europe for the last 15 years before I retired. My career had advanced to the point where I was the General Manager of the European Division of a multi-national food processing company.
A close friend of mine retired not long after I did. He too is an American, but since he had married a Dutch woman he chose to remain living in Europe after he retired. They have since moved to Venice, Italy. I got the following email from him today:
Well two nights ago I went to the screening of Capitalism by Michael Moore. Naturally, I was not invited and didn't have a ticket so I went to the stage entrance and told The Italian security guard that my friend 
and I were Michael's producers and to call upstairs at once and tell them we were here and to let us up right away.
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He said we had to go around front to get tickets and I said "are you crazy, we will be mobbed by fans" "call your supervisor immediately as we are expected at once". I didn't blink and the guy folded. It must have been our George Cloony suits.
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We stormed upstairs to the VIP section doors just in time to walk into a standing ovation right next to Michael and his wife Kathleen. Michael turned to me and said " who are you"? I told him I was a master crasher and he said "very cool" and invited us to dinner and the after party.
The movie was great. Michael is a very nice warm guy. He got a 12 minuted standing ovation and two tall beautiful Russian Actresses ?? slipped their numbers into my pocket thinking I might really be his producer or at least had some lose change.
Still crazy after all these years,
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