I've been fortunate to have met a bunch of famous, influential, and/or special people in my lifetime thus far. Sometimes it is random, like running into David Hasselhoff in the parking lot of a mall, and sometimes it is a bit more planned, like attending a luncheon with Gorbachev, Queen Noor, and Colin Powell or hanging out with Elizabeth Edwards.

Yesterday, my younger son and I had the opportunity to meet Shannon Miller. Many people may not recognize that name, but gymnastics fans who watched the 1996 Olympics surely do. With 16 World Championship and Olympic medals, she is considered the "most decorated" gymnast in U.S. History. During those Olympics, my face was pressed to the television screen to watch the Magnificent Seven win the team Gold.

In my recap of 2011, I showed a photo of my son with 2004 Olympian Brett McClure, and me with 1984 Olympian Bart Conner. Adding Shannon Miller to the mix of famous gymnasts I've met was quite a thrill. I wasn't the only one in the gym yesterday with happy tears in my eyes. One friend recalled how he was in Egypt during the 1996 games, so never ever even dreamed that he could possibly someday meet Shannon. He beamed and cried as his son posed with her.

Even though my son wasn't born before Shannon's accomplishments, he was duly impressed, especially when she pulled out her gold medals to show the crowd. He had her sign a photo, and then went back in line and had her sign his leo:

Aside from the excitement of my son's own competitions, the next big gymnastics thrill will be when we attend the Olympic Trials this summer. And, of course, we'll be watching London with rapt attention.