You never know who you may run into at Target
I had most the items on my list in my cart & had started the walk around to find stuff I didn't know I need when I noticed a woman & thought "I know her - but from where?" You know it can sometimes be difficult to place a person when you see them where you don't expect to.
After a few seconds it came to me & I decided I'd better say something as she seemed to have noticed me giving her the side eye. So I asked, "Aren't you Tina Smith?" And, yes, she was.
We exchanged a few pleasantries, I said I appreciated the job the Democrats were doing & understood some of the obstacles they face, mentioned I enjoyed Biden's rope a dope at the SOTU (her husband joined me in that comment) & hopefully did not say anything too stupid.
Naturally, for the last several hours, I have been coming up with all sorts of witty & intelligent comments I could have made. But who's ready to run into their senator at Target?
= new reply since forum marked as read
I have had experiences like that where I can't stop thinking of all the things I should have said instead of what I found myself blurting out.
I am sure she appreciated your comments.
I realize that I'm unlikely to run into either of my senators anywhere, though one of them did show up in the district when she first ran for Congress (and won!). And I would not want to run into my Rep. since I would feel obligated to say something, but she apparently no longer lives in the district. 
Kudos to you for speaking up! She likely appreciated your supportive words. 
case I hope I wouldn’t be tongue tied. Cause I’d want to call both of them f’king A-holes! 
Yes, people do have a life outside their day job.
But keep an eye open for the same thing happening again, and have some witty comments at the ready. 
You spoke for millions of us in that moment, Liberty Belle.
Not immediately recognizing him, I asked a man, “Excuse me, sir, are you registered to vote?” And as he stopped in the crowd and held my gaze for a moment with a subtly bemused look, I realized it was Barney Frank. That was a funny moment for both of us
The celebs are all around, and you see 'em. They're at the gas station. The dry cleaners. The pharmacy. Walking their dogs.
I remember the Easter Mass where I spotted Brooke Shields and her then-beau Andre Agassi in line for Holy Communion.
My favorite random celebrity encounter was one day at the grocery store, where I'd gone to buy more jars of baby food. I had an armload that I was trying as carefully as possible to move into the shopping cart. But of course, I blew it. Suddenly, jars were rolling all over the floor in the middle of the baby food aisle. I think I'd been stooped low enough that nothing broke, fortunately enough.
Anyway, as I scrambled to pick them all up, I noticed a man a few feet away, bending down to pick up more of the stray jars. He brought them over to me and then helped round up the rest of them. I was flustered but grateful and I thanked him. And then it hit me: that volunteer helper was Mark Harmon.
Was coming towards me. He was looking around to see if anyone recognized him. I did and we both smiled. It was Mel Torme when he was just becoming popular.
Same with Jonathon Winters His family owned Winters bank. I was in the car that time waiting.
in Georgia. This big stretch limo pulled into the McDonalds. As the passenger got out, I said to my husband, "that woman must really be someone important." He said, "That's not a woman, that's James Brown."
when someone gave me a big smile and a wave I naturally nodded back & smiled, then it dawned on me
it was Sen Jerry Moran so I turned back around to look again and he's looking right at me,
so I stuck my tongue out and he kept smiling like it didn't bother him. 
