As the world watches and waits to see if Dennis Rodman gets the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless and selfless efforts to bring peace to the Koreas, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my own run-in with Rodman. The memory occured to me while I listened to Rodman’s tearful comments from Singapore about his tireless and selfless efforts that I mentioned two sentences ago—efforts that probably led to today’s historic Trump-Kim summit and efforts that Rodman definitely doesn’t want credit for.
The year was 2000 A.D. I had moved to Dallas for a radio job. I was still looking for a place to live and staying in a hotel. Finding myself suddenly famished, I began to forage for food. Next thing I knew, I was at a grocery store. Apparently I’d driven to a place called Kroger. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Once inside, I headed for the oatmeal aisle. Imagine my surprise when I saw a large man in a suit blocking the entrance to the aisle. Another security guard was patrolling the other end of the aisle. Meanwhile, a man wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses and 7,000 piercings–perhaps the most identifiable member of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team—Dennis Rodman–was hunched over while perusing a large selection of hot cereal options.
I moved on to another aisle and paid for my groceries. I didn’t get oatmeal that day. What prize do I get for my inconvenience?