A common piece of advice is to never meet your heroes. The belief is that meeting a well-known person in real life will be disappointing because that person will not live up to the idealized version existing in one’s imagination.

I have had the privilege to meet some of my favourite entertainers over the years. Yes, during these experiences I often had my heart in my mouth and had to be careful not to get tongue-tied. However, the experiences have been positive in that I have been able to make some wonderful memories while also telling the people in question how much their work has meant to me. As an artist myself, few things feel better than for someone to compliment your work.

One of my favourite musicians recently died. I met this person twice and have photos to prove it. I feel grateful that I was able to connect and now be able to share those memories with other fans. Another recent experience was meeting a musician I have been a huge fan of since my teens. Finally meeting the person was literally a dream come true and worth the wait.

I realize there are stories out there about people meeting a celebrity and it not going well. A good way not to be disillusioned is to remember that everyone - including people we admire from afar - are at their core, just regular people living their lives. Don’t avoid meeting someone you admire if the opportunity arises simply out of fear the person may not be as perfect as you hoped. You may be pleasantly surprised. You also may never get another chance.

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Go Ahead: Meet Your Heroes