Drumila Gives Hope Hope
I met Bob Hope twice. First in the mid-80s. I went to the Bob Hope Golf Classic because I was in Palm springs at the time and decided it would be a good place to give some stars some books. Walking around with a shopping bag containing books so as not to be noticed by the security people, I gave books to a few sports legends like Bobby Or, Willie Mays, and Barry Bonds. But Robert Stack from the TV series The Untouchables wouldn't touch a book because he thought it was from a cult, and his son had been in one, so he had a bad taste. I explained to him for a few minutes that we are not a cult, and he said he would take the book home and read it. I gave a Higher Taste to Dinah Shore, and she was thrilled because she had just published her own cookbook.
Anyway, back to Bob. I saw him tee off on hole one. I watched him with about fifty other people in a roped-off area.
I said, "Bob!" to catch his attention, and when he looked at me, I said, "I have a gift for you."
Handing him Coming Back and A Higher Taste, I enthusiastically said, "You'll really love these books!"
Later that day I put down my paper bag and made a bee line right for President Ford just after he teed off. His security men didn't stop me, so I handed him Origins magazine. I said that this magazine could help him in his endeavors to help people. He seemed rather put off. He trembled (his arm literally shook while holding the magazine). He turned around with a look of disgust and hurled it into his golf cart. He was probably wondering how I got through his security detail, or maybe he was just adverse to Krsna in the form of the magazine.
The next place I saw Bob Hope was in New Orleans. I overheard someone say Bob Hope was in Pat O'Brians, a famous restaurant. I went in, and there was Bob, looking a hundred years old. He was sitting at the table alone. His eyes were drooping and showing the red around the borders. His wife was standing up with a few friends near the table. They seemed pretty oblivious to Bob.
I went right up to him and said, "Bob, I don't know if you remember, but I met you at your Classic in the 80s and gave you a couple of books,and you were joking with me."
He looked up at me and listened.
Then I said, "I have another gift for you today. It's a book called A Second Chance. I flipped through the pictures, with the Yamadutas and Visnudutas, all the while explaining to him the story of Ajamila and how chanting saved him.
When I left him, I marveled at the special mercy he was receiving from Krishna in his final days. He died shortly after that. Krishna was kind to come to him near the end of his life, and Krsna was kind to let me be an instrument to give him that mercy.
Your Servent
Drumila Dasa
