Meeting Ben Stein

I had the supreme honor of meeting Ben Stein last night. No, I didn't win any of his money, but I got a good dose of his wisdom and charm. Ben was the keynote speaker at the Boise Chamber of Commerce Gala Dinner. I have to admit I've been a big fan of Ben ever since he uttered those famous words "Anyone?..... Beuller?" In Ferris Bueller's Day Off many years ago. But there is much more to Ben Stein. When he walked on stage and pulled out a large overstuffed brief case, removing an equally large bundle of papers, I was convinced it was a prop. Nope - this guy came prepared to deliver a lecture - and he blasted through those notes at a dizzying pace. Ben was not only entertaining, but spot on with his assessment of the current state of our economy, our political climate, and where this country's education programs need to go to once again to "Be all we can be". Ben has a home in northern Idaho, and he made it clear how much he "love love loves" Idaho, referring to the state as a sort of "club" that everyone wants to be a part of. He also made no bones about his love of this country, and our military. He poked fun at both political parties, but his resounding message was one of getting this country back to work (sound familiar?) and preparing our kids for those jobs that we desperately need to fill - not just pushing them through college for meaningless degrees. Afterwards, I went up to introduce myself and thank him. I figured I'd be lucky to get a polite "Hello". But to my surprise, Ben engaged an a lengthy conversation with me, asking about my military service, what I did, how long I served, what's like to serve on a submarine - "Did you get to fire the missiles?" It was an experience I will always cherish. He did that with everyone he met, genuine interest and compassion. He took a business card from a colleague of mine at Wyakin Warriors, removed his huge, packed, over-sized wallet and carefully placed it there as he questioned her about our organization. We stuck around for a bit, equally entertained by Ben's interaction with other guests and his interesting wardrobe selection - suit, tie, and black Keds sneakers. The guy is a class act, and if you ever get a chance to hear him speak - make the effort to meet with him and talk one-on-one. You'll be glad you did.