Richie Has A Groupie!

You're not surprised?  Well, his wife was flabbergasted when we came in and found this message on the answering machine.  "Hello, my name is (omitted) and I read your letter to the editor this morning and I couldn't agree more!  Why isn't Congress acting?  I wanted to discuss this with you; my number is XXX XXX XXXX so please give me a call."  (click)

Naturally I supposed it was some kook with an agenda - Tea Party? Occupy Wal Street? but her voice was soft and gentle, not in the least warlike.  I wrote down the phone number and made him listen to the message.

An hour later, he said,,"I wonder how she got our number?  It's unlisted, isn't it?"

"No, it's not.  It is right in there with the other 17 Richard Murphys, Redondo Beach,  in the phone book.  I figured it was better to hide in a crowd." 

So he called her and they had an animated chat about local political figures, the AES plant and so forth.  After he'd hung up he told me, "She's 79, a retired local school teacher who wants to Do Something.  I told her to write a letter to the editor."

I really felt mixed emotions about his groupie.  First of all, there was professional pride.  Today's AOL figures show that I've written 1,448 columns with 23,880 page views or an average of 16.49 people reading me on a daily basis.

Contrast that with the fact that's he's written possibly four letters to the editor - widely spaced  in time- and he gets a groupie! 

Clearly I'm doing something wrong.    Is "Groupie Envy" a common complaint in psychiatric circles?  Quite probably not.  Tant pis.  (French for "too bad.")  It should be.