You never know whom you are going to see or run into when you are doing the most mundane of activities.

Today was an excellent example of that.  Let me set the stage for you.  At about midday I was shopping for food in the local Stop & Shop grocery store.  This is the only grocery store in Edgartown Massachusetts on Martha’s Vineyard.

I had been given the grocery list of what to get.  It included Worcestershire sauce, fresh basil, eggplant, whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, marinara sauce, mozzarella balls of cheese, sour cream and Panko bread crumbs.

I had ridden to the market on my bike, hoping to be able to fit all of these items into the basket on my bike.

As I am looking for eggplant, I notice a man with white hair shopping right next to me.  I say to myself that he looks like Ted Danson, but I keep searching for the items on my list.  I was not sure that it was he, but the resemblance was uncanny.

A few minutes later I see him again as we are both rummaging around in the vegetables and fruit section of the store.  This time, I said to myself, that has to be Ted Danson.

So, what do I do?

I call out to him, saying “Ted Danson?”  The man responds to me by saying yes.  I then stick out my hand and say “I’m Neil Peterson”.  We shake hands.

What then, you may ask.  I then proceed to say to him “My favorite television show of all time was Cheers.  And I just want to thank you for the role you played in that show.  Thank you.”

Ted responded by saying thank you back to me.  I could tell that he wasn’t put off by my calling him out;  I could tell that he was comfortable in his own skin.  He was casual, warm and friendly.  It was a nice exchange.

A little later I was going for the check out line when I realized that Ted Danson was going for the same check out line.  So, I gestured to him with my left arm, asking him to go first.  I also add verbally, “after you.”

He smiles and thanks me again.  While he is unloading his items to the conveyor belt for check out we strike up a conversation again.  This time it is about the Vineyard, whether he is a regular here or just visiting.  He says that he comes here all the time and he will be staying till August 1^st this summer because he has to leave for some work at that time.  I tell him about my family’s history on Chappaquiddick and how I now bring my kids and grandchildren here for two weeks in late June every year.  He says that the Vineyard is something special.  And we both agree.

I know it may sound corny, but it just thrilled me to meet and talk with Ted Danson, as brief as the encounter was.  I got the sense that he was a nice human being.

And it gave me the opportunity to express gratitude to him for the joy that he has brought into my life.

Since this happened, I have done some research on Ted Danson, and I have learned quite a bit.

At 75 years of age, he has had a long and distinguished acting career that includes much more than Cheers.  However, Cheers is what put Ted Danson on the map.  Playing Sam Malone the bartender/owner of the bar Cheers in Boston, Ted Danson won two Emmys and two Golden Globes.   The show ran for 11 seasons and 275 episodes and was ranked by TV Guide as the 18^th most popular TV show of all time.  It finally stopped running because Ted wanted to do other acting roles.

He has surely done that.  He has acted in 31 movies over the last 40 years.  Over the last 40 years he has been nominated for over 42 awards and has won 7.  In television over the last 50 years he has appeared in over 60 series, films or shows, Cheers being just one.

More recently he starred in The Good Place and Mr. Mayor.

He has been married for almost 30 years to his current wife, Mary Steenburgen, an Oscar winner and star in her own right. He had two previous marriages and had a well reported affair with Whoopi Goldberg years ago.

Financially he is successful, with an estimated net worth of $80 million.  He was paid $500,000 for each episode of Cheers which ran for 11 seasons.  He and his wife have a home on Martha’s Vineyard.  He is very interested in the environment, especially ocean conservation.  He has coauthored a book entitled Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do To Save Them.

Apparently he is still working.  And, I found out, he goes to the grocery store to buy food just like the rest of us.

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