Let’s face it: at some point in your life, you have wanted to meet someone famous.  Maybe  you want to tell them how much they mean to you, or maybe you want to tell them you know every single lyric to every single song on every single album, or maybe you just want to boast to your friends and family about it.

Living in a small coastal town on the South Shore, this opportunity is not always easy to find.   If you’re lucky, you may have seen Steve Carell drive through Marshfield Hills.  Some of the most exciting stories involve seeing locals drive by who have been an extra in a movie.  (Not too riveting, if I do say so myself.)  On the other hand, meeting one of the nine Wahlberg children is pretty common: all you have to do is walk around Hingham Shipyard in the summer.  Check in at Alma Nove to see Paul and then Wahlburgers to see Mark.  If you don’t see either one of them there, the least you can do is stop in at Patriot Cinemas and watch a movie starring one of the famous brothers.

Most people have the same story when it comes to celebrities: they want to meet one, but they can’t.  Some say it’s expensive or intimidating, while others are trying as hard as they can to meet a person who has no idea who they even are.

This past summer, a dream became a reality for junior Jackie Thornton.  She saw Paradise Fears, a band she’s familiar with through a friend, downstairs at the Middle East Club in Cambridge.  Because it was such a small show, she was able to meet them afterward outside, behind the venue.

Jackie said, “They took pictures with everyone who was outside, and I got pictures with them by myself and with friends.  It was such a cool experience because I got to personally thank them for their music and the impact it’s had on my life.  It was a really surreal thing to meet, talk to, and hug people who have been playing in your earbuds for months.  That kind of opportunity is really special.  To have contact with someone you know is going places.”

Regardless of who it is, meeting someone who has had such a large impact on your life is special.  In many circumstances, fans feel as if they already know the celebrity, because they very well may know their life story.  But for the famous who meet new people everyday, it must be so weird to think that so many people sing their songs into hairbrushes every morning.

    A major stereotype for well-known actors, singers, and dancers is that they act and feel so entitled in this world.  For many, this claim is true.  However, for most, it must be so humbling to see someone running toward them, crying, and telling them through their tears just how much they mean to them.