whiteboy meets iron mike

we got to meet mike tyson on day one of operation honeymoon! we were crawling along the strip when i happened to glance over & see a truck advertising he was there, on that day, at that time! we'd just been talking about how james eventually meets, even becomes friends w/all his heroes. heck, he hung out once for a full day w/cab calloway! ... we found the place, at a shop in fancy-shmancy-vegas-tacky-faky caesar's palace & waited in line. we couldn't believe it! it was like some new agy-secret kind of thing: creating one's reality. i mean, intellectually, i balk at such notions, but then i will tend to believe... who knows? "i wonder how he feels?" james said, "doing this here, where he became heavyweight champ?" we waited in line excitedly for not too long, then boom! we were in the box w/tyson, & boy he looked great! we'd just the day before watched a short interview w/him; in person, he looked so much younger, w/deep-set, sparkly, friendly eyes & bright smile, & boy, he was so genuinely warm, not like many celebrities/celebrities manquee i've met! no brush off, no glad handing, no snobbiness. james & he spoke for a minute while i fumbled nervously w/my phone-camera. they have so much in common! same age, rough life, boxing, personal tragedies, now living new, positive lives... james wrote a song about himself that he dedicates to tyson. he didn't tell him all this, tho, only that "we're all so proud of you," & tyson looked at him w/what seemed real appreciation & thanked him... finally the photographers took my camera-phone from me & i got in the picture. mike tyson turned from james, whom he'd embraced in a big hug, & grabbed my hand. "come on & get in the pitcher, jenny!" he said, & we all said cheese. just then, a stranger wobbled in. "he w/you?" we were asked, & we said no. "hi, mike tyson!" he guy belched drunkenly. "aw, man!" tyson laughed, & covered his face w/embarrassment like a little kid. "can you believe that?" they shuffled the guy off. "geez, that must happen a lot," i said, or something like that, & mike tyson said, "yeah, what can you do? life on life's terms." !!! that is secret code for us friends of bill w! i don't recall what was said after that cause i was marveling on the drunk coming in on OUR picture, then mike tyson uttering a recovery slogan, not to mention how much positive energy the man radiated... we were ecstatic. he treated us like old friends. he was really that warm. and to see him looking so happy, so together, so strong & healthy, well, that was moving. and inspiring! if he can go thru all he's gone thru & now rise like a phoenix, well, we can do it, too. and so can you!... as you can tell, we were on cloud 9. (btw, james explained that boxers know what happened & understand re "the ear" incident w/evander holyfield... tyson was being wronged & the ref wasn't helping to stop it, so he reacted -- albeit savagely, to the lay eye -- to protect himself -- rightly! he got the worse of the whole thing in the end, & i'd bet would never do such a thing today, no matter what.) that was operation honeymoon day 1. we're now on day 4 or 5 (hard to remember). tomorrow we'll be in memphis. MEMPHIS!! we can't wait. more later.