My heart broke last week when I learned of the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife. Mr. Reiner excelled as a fine actor, a genius storyteller, an engaged progressive political activist, and a mensch, and I am terribly sorry for his family and for our loss as a society that has gained so much from him. I did not know him, yet I once had an up-close-and-personal glimpse of him that demonstrated something magical about how, even with all the trappings of fame, notoriety, and success, one can still be human.

I grew up in Los Angeles and, more specifically, the areas of Hollywood and the southeast San Fernando Valley adjacent to Hollywood. During that time, people regularly encountered (or at least sighted) celebrities in situ: grocery shopping, walking a pet, driving their convertibles, or participating in normal acts of life.

As young people in the neighborhood school, this was also true. For example, I attended elementary school with a........

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