Boyd Matson | Wild Chronicles

Boyd talking with an old fan

I’ve noticed how many of the celebrities who appear on television or in the movies seen to have an entourage or posse traveling with them whenever they’re not on the screen. It’s almost like they need an audience following them around to cheer, applaud, and approve their every utterance. I don’t have a posse. Of course I’m not a celebrity either. Although I have worked in television most of my life, I don’t even have a fan club to e-mail me their support with comments like, “Really loved the way you got all those blisters on that trek through the Sahara,” or “Loved seeing those leeches on you when you were following the orangutans.”

No, there’s no support group following me around cheering my daily decisions, just an occasional family member saying, “What were you thinking?” or “Why did you do that?” Just once I would like to experience the positive 100% adoration of a sycophantic posse, so I tried to enlist some friends to form a temporary entourage. But I couldn’t convince any of my friends to participate in my fantasy and follow me around for the day saying things like, “Boyd, you the man.” I was forced to settle for starting up a temporary fan club. The group could only get together for one meeting but I was there to thank them in person and let their support wash over me like a refreshing breeze.