my birthday

Well like that time of year when whales mate for a 24-hour period my birthday was a long day full of fun and water and krill. I began the day of my birth by waking up at 6:45 a.m. so as to extend the length of 'my day' and also b/c I had to open our restaurant at 8:00 a.m. I got to work and honestly forgot it was my birthday. It was just another day of work and then about 2 hours in I remembered and just got a huge smile on my face.

"Ha. It's my birthday."

Let me back up. ACTUALLY the way I started my birthday off was to sit at the top of an 8-story parking deck near where I work because I had closed the restaurant Friday night and so at 11:55p.m. I got to my car. The night was beautiful so I decided to drive to top of the parking deck, sit on the roof of my car (Angelina), listen to classical music and just look out at how beautiful LA is on a clear night. So that's how I really started my birthday.

As my shift ended (back to Saturday now) I saw someone who looked familiar to me. Wait? Is that? Could that be? It was Common. Now I know some of you might not know who he is but I am a fan of Common for a number of reasons. I respect his music b/c it's more poetic and less racy. Also he seems to have a bit of discipline--at least in the public eye--to stay out of trouble and is often times involved with great causes such as the (RED) campaign Gap had this year. He has been in a large number of movies including "Smoking Aces" and in the upcoming "American Gangster" with Denzel Washington. Common is...well more like a man of the people...more...common?! He was rocking some dark denim, boots and a white t-shirt. No chains. No bling. No problem.



So I decided to go up to him and say something. This is pretty much 100% against the rules of the restaurant but I was off the clock because my shift had ended. My first problem was wondering how I address this man. "Mr. Common" or just "Common" or "Senor Common" or what? Alas I pushed forward and the following is a word-for-word transcript as noted by the host who was up front:

Bradley: "Excuse me. (no direct address) I know this might be against our protocol but I just had to come up and say that I respect you both as an artist and from what I've read about you in interviews as a person."

Common: "Wow (genuinely grateful) man, thanks alot."

Bradley: "Yeah, I mean someone in your position being where you are in your career and what not it has to be tough to stand firm and not compromise and I really respect that."

Common: (nodding appreciatively knowing I can relate) "Yeah man (insert hand shake) it's not easy these days."

Bradley: "Definitely. Well I just wanted to come up and say that and just say, 'keep on keepin on, man.' (pat Common on the back and walk away)

Common: "Thanks man. Yeah. I will."

So that was pretty cool!