"Wow.  That's encouraging!"

Craig Ferguson made that remark at the White House Correspondent's Dinner when one of his jokes had to be explained to President Bush, who laughed at it after a three-second pause while it computed in his brain.  Craig's remark went through my head earlier today when, while getting a haircut, the woman wielding the scissors started laughing after just hearing the premises of the sitcom and film I'm currently writing.  It was amazing!  It was real laughter, too – not that "Haha, I'm just placating you" kind of laughter that is most heard on late-night talk shows that aren't Craig's.  Not that I watch them all that much anyways, especially after 12:37am.  When I do, though, it's there!  Unmistakably!  But I digress.

I couldn't believe she thought my ideas were that funny.  It was amazing!  A real shot in the arm.  I can't get enough of those.  I drove away from the salon with a stupid grin plastered across my face.

And then, later on this very day, sitting at a table with my iPod headphones on and writing in my tablet, I got The Question:  "Are you a writer?"

I took my headphones off to answer the curious girl looking down at me.  When I said (rather incredulously, as this is the first time I've actually been asked this), "Yes!" she responded with, "Oh my gosh!  That's so cool!"

I thought to myself, "It'd be a lot cooler if I would have actually had something produced or published or, y'know, in any way viewed as good, but hey, sure, I'll take that!"

She really was a very sweet girl – apparently she wants to be an actress and a model.  We commiserated about the lack of possibilities for such a profession in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Maybe someday she'll get her big break, or maybe – hopefully! – someday I will.  God can do anything, and that's the real Big Break I'm holding onto with all my might.

Anyway, it was, all in all, a very encouraging day, to say the least.  At the end of this day of fluffy bunnies and rainbows and, on the Late Late Show, filthy pigeons, I've come to realize how good encouragement really feels, whether it's from random strangers or just in the secure and continually proven knowledge that I was, in fact, right about something in entertainment:  no other talk show host can hold a candle to Craig Ferguson.  Hands down, jury's out, roll credits, no more need for discussion.

It's a great day for America, everybody.

I love being right.