The First Time I Recall Being Recognized in Public

I’ll never forget it. I was shopping for shoes at Barney’s in NY with a friend and there were a lot of people around since it was during the time of year that the store holds one of their bi-annual sales. I was strapping on a pair of stunning boots, and I heard a female voice exclaim loudly “Oh my god, that’s Claudia Mason!” I didn’t look up at first, instinctively feeling the need to protect myself against said voice since the pitch of her voice was rather high and god only knew what the person attached to this voice would be like!

When I did look up to see who it was who was so excited to see me, I discovered a sweet transvestite with a heart of gold. She was the kindest stranger who immediately put me at ease. She was practically in tears as she approached me and told me she had been a fan of mine since forever and could I please sign an autograph. She had a pic of me in her cute little pink backpack. How could I refuse? She made quite a scene in the small crowded shoe department, and I had tons of other eyes on me in seconds. I think I signed some more autographs, this time on plain pieces of paper, since one person’s excitement is contagious. Even though I don’t believe the other autograph seekers knew who I was, they still wanted my autograph. Funny.

This lovely fan couldn’t stop repeating how much my work had meant to her, and how it carried her through hard times in her life. I was moved and I thanked her. She wouldn’t leave. I let her tell me a few more stories of what my career meant to her and then she finally said goodbye and left me to trying on shoes again with my friend. The commotion subsided and the salespeople treated me like a queen after that. It’s funny what celebrity does to people in general. Too bad they weren’t affected enough by a Claudia Mason sighting to give me a discount on the shoes – ha! But I guess one can’t always have it all 😉