2. In the Footsteps of Forrest Gump

My friends sometimes liken me to Forrest Gump. I don’t think I look or talk or even run like Forrest, so I suppose their comparison stems from the fact that I often find myself in remarkable situations, surrounded by remarkable people. Well, that and the fact that I’m from Alabama.

The truth is that I rarely, if ever, go about seeking said situations. In fact, I’m generally minding my own business when extraordinary events begin to unfold before me.

I’ve met US Presidents, European Royalty, Academy Award Winners, athletes, astronauts, artists, movers and shakers, people who’d like to be movers and shakers, the famous, the not-so-famous, and, occasionally, the infamous.

For example, I was once asked to write a book about a Mafia-type figure from New Orleans. He took me deep into the swamps so that he could personally show me where certain events had taken place, including the spot where, according to him, a group of men had met and plotted the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. His testimony was both revealing and frightening. I'm not sure how true it was, but it was certainly entertaining.

I’ll write about all of these things … and more … in time.

But for now, I’ll tell you about my encounter with a rather nefarious character named O.J. Simpson. Here’s what happened …