I sat behind Jesse Jackson on a flight to Chicago about two years ago. He sat in coach, wore a baseball cap and sweat suit, and I didn't recognize him until near the end of the flight because he pretty much looked and acted like the rest of us ordinary schlubs at the end of a long day.

Anyway, he was walking in front of me as we exited the plane, and as he walked through the terminal a highly-excited boy about 14 years old recognized Jesse Jackson, ran up to him, tugged on his sleeve, and said something to him. Jackson stopped, and apparently exchanged a few kind and encouraging words with the boy, because he ran back to his mother all breathless and excited as Jackson walked away.

And I thought, at times like that, it must be GREAT to be Jesse Jackson.