Nice to see you...

Movie stars are special people.  They’re not like us.  For one thing, their teeth are straighter.  And whiter.  Their skin is more glowy and fabulous.  They have more time to do yoga and be analyzed and read books about things they love.  And movie stars do this amazing, charmingly deft and strategic thing: movie stars have mastered that which I have struggled long to learn.  They know the perfect way to say hello. 

When a movie star is introduced to you in a small, intimate gathering – say cocktails with colleagues or at a restaurant where you’re dining with a mutual friend – the seasoned and well-mannered movie star will always greet you with a direct look in the eye and a “nice to see you.”  Not a simple “hi.”  And certainly not “nice to meet you.”  It doesn’t matter that you’ve never met.  It doesn’t matter that they don’t have a remote idea who you are.  What matters, is that they’ve managed to both put you at ease and win you over in one fell swoop.  What matters, is that they have staved off any possible embarrassment of the off chance that you two may have met before.  They meet so MANY people that “nice to see you” protects them and you. 

I like movie stars.  I like that they are rare and exotic and not like us.  So I don’t mind that “nice to see you” is as impersonal as the greeting of the doorman at a popular nightclub.  I’m still happy to be “seen” and happy to bask in the glow of perfect teeth and manicured nails and botoxed skin.  Its all ok with me.  And its nice to see them too!