Way Back Wednesday - The Lost Photo

This week's photo is the one that I keep passing by and thinking, "Now, when is Mama Duck going to ask for pictures of us with celebrities?" So far she hasn't. But she has asked to see that one photo we've been dying to share. This is mine, and it comes with a story.

I was 14 years old and there was a big car show in Baltimore. The paper announced that several celebrities would be available to sign autographs. They had the van from "The A-Team" there, K.I.T.T. from "Knight Rider," a very young Heather Locklear, a guy named Chuck Thomas from a very short-lived show called "Automan." And then there was Dirk.

I had been a fan of Dirk Benedict since his "Battlestar Galactica" days. Besides being extensively easy on the eyes, he had this great way of delivering his lines, and this crooked grin that just made me melt. So naturally, I asked my father if we could go to the car show. And being male, he could not turn down the idea of hundreds of cool cars in one place. So we went.

The line to see Dirk was pretty long. I happily waited in it, watching him all the while. He sat behind a draped table. At one end, a guy was asking people's names and then writing them on the back of a photo, so when they got to Dirk, he would look at the name, flip over the picture, and personalize it for that person. He stayed seated the whole time.

When I got to the front of the line, I noticed how everyone who got their pictures taken with Dirk had to lean way over the desk to get close enough to be in the frame. Now, this may sound like bragging, but I promise you it's true. When I got to him, Dirk stood up and leaned toward me for the picture. I don't remember what he said to me, I was so nervous. But my dad was videotaping from below and as I walked away, Dirk turned to his bodyguard and on the video you can see him say "She's beautiful!"

I stood there next to that table for at least another hour, watching him sign autographs. And I never again saw him stand up and lean toward someone else. I was the only one. Let me tell you, what an ego boost! I still get all warm and fuzzy when I think about it.

And that's the picture I've been dying to share.