I am proud to present a conversation had yesterday on my Facebook page.
My Status Update:
Humor: Ran into one of the firemen who had been through my apartment in the first flush of emergency. I met him later that first night out on the sidewalk, when I was hysterical with sobs. So I just ran into him at the Dunkin Donuts. He asked me how I was doing, if I found my cat (these people are killing me). We chatted. He was a big burly guy. He suddenly got shy, and I could tell he wanted to say something else to me, but … maybe it would be inappropriate? You know, he had been hanging out in my apartment while I was not there. (I am only putting this together after speaking to him.) He decided to take the leap and said, “I love Elvis too.” I didn’t know what he was talking about since I hadn’t said one word about Elvis in our conversation (shocking, I realize) … and then it dawned on me that he had probably taken in my King Creole poster from Kent Adamson, and my Elvis coffee table book, and the stack of Elvis DVDs next to my TV.
I started laughing so hard. I was embarrassed. “He’s great, right?” I said to fireman. “I grew up listening to the guy,” said Awesome Fireman. “And my aunts were crazy over him.” Of course they were.
Odie Aw, I thought this was going to turn rated X! But now I’m going through my house taking out anything a fireman can use against me.
21 hours ago · Unlike · 3
DeAnna I love this so much. Elvis brings people together!
21 hours ago · Unlike · 2
Sheila rated X – hahahahahahaha
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Sheila Odie – I was glad he didn’t mention a certain object on my bureau.
21 hours ago · Like · 3
Sheila De – I know, and he got shy – but he HAD to say something. hysterical!!
21 hours ago · Like
Sheila Also – that in the middle of an emergency, he’s downloading all of that information into his brain.
21 hours ago · Like
Odie That’s where I thought this was going–late night Cinemax. Burly fireman, woman who needs comfort, donuts, lost cat. It screams “first five minutes of a porno!”
21 hours ago · Unlike · 3
Sheila My whole life is the first five minutes of a porno.
21 hours ago · Like · 8
Kent Now combined with the Mystic powers of the big E.
21 hours ago · Unlike · 2
Tom You should write songs. You write like Springsteen did before he lost it.
21 hours ago · Unlike · 2
Liz ADORE
21 hours ago · Unlike · 1
Sheila Tom – that was the best compliment ever.
21 hours ago · Like · 1
Don You have to marry him now.
20 hours ago · Unlike · 4
Sheila Don – I agree.
20 hours ago · Like · 1
Don Remember in POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, when Meryl says to the doc who pumped her stomach: “I can’t wait to tell people how me met. It’s just like VALLEY OF THE DOLLS.” In your case, it’s just like TOWERING INFERNO.
20 hours ago · Unlike · 1
Don And you two will always have your song: HUNKA HUNKA BURNING LOVE.
20 hours ago · Unlike · 3
Kappy Rated X? No. This one is rated E. E for Elvis.
20 hours ago · Like
Liz Tom, Sheila IS a Springsteen song: “…left Jainie on a street in Piscataway, she was writing letters to Presley to come get her someday.” Names and locations have been changed to protect the innocent.
19 hours ago · Like · 1
Sean i can’t remember – are you dating anyone? maybe he was trying to ask you out!
19 hours ago · Unlike · 1
Odie Sheila and the Fireman sounds like an Elvis movie. I can hear Elvis singing “Sheila, Oh Sheila. You’re the one flame I will not put out…”
19 hours ago · Unlike · 1
Joe The Meet Cute in the next romantic comedy. Jon Hamm as Fireman and Rebecca Hall as Cat Woman.
19 hours ago · Unlike · 3
Craig Rom-com trailer voice: “Sheila O’Malley…is about to discover…some fires…can’t be put out!”
18 hours ago · Unlike · 5
Ian *cue “Solsbury Hill”*
18 hours ago · Unlike · 1
Erik I am totally ‘shipping you and the fireman.
17 hours ago · Unlike · 1
Vanwall The song goes on, a little more every day, it seems.
17 hours ago · Unlike · 1
Sheila Maybe Elvis’ late jaunty number “I Can Help” can roll over the end credits.
17 hours ago · Like
Kerry I love every single word of this thread
10 hours ago · Unlike · 2
Sheila
Don’t know if you’ve seen the book that my partner, Jim Piazza, wrote called “The King”. It’s a beautiful coffee table book published in 2009. If you’re interested, we’d love to meet you for coffee and give you a copy of the book. He also has tons of Elvis pictures, many of them never published.
David – I’ll be in touch. Thanks. I don’t know the book! Thanks for reaching out!
This incident needs to be the basis of the screenplay for a very smart comedy/drama movie. I’m totally serious about this.
Yeah, I kind of agree.
This whole thing is brilliant–love this story, and everyone commenting.
Everyone just got so on board with the comedic potential – it was so entertaining!
I also cannot count how many times people in my neighborhood have come up to me on the sidewalk and asked me if I found my cat.
Like I said on FB at another time: Life is tough and there are many problems in the world but as long as neighbors can care about a woman who has lost her cat, I think we’re gonna be okay.
I will take this true story over fiction any day of the week–doesn’t get better than that. So glad you documented and shared it! (And please do let us know if it ends up as part of a screenplay!)