THERE WAS THE STINK of newspaper columnists about them, crowded as they were in America's oldest press club, the Pen and Pencil. So many opinions. So little time. This was last night during the National Society of Newspaper Columnists convention in Philadelphia. How can you go to a newspaper columnists convention without popping off about something? Being bossy with your opinions is part of your job description. Or that's what people think..

In my experience (and what do I know, really, about newspaper columnists?) most columnists would describe themselves as "basically shy." I'm basically shy. In my opinion. Most newspaper columnists don't like to bother people. Most newspaper columnists aren't bullies. But most newspaper columnists share a common dream. They want to be heard. They want to matter. They want to find the right words and speed them into print.

And then there are the rest, the glory seeking hound dogs who get found out for what they are almost faster than you forget their names afterward. Nothing but barks in the wind.

And then from across the room I saw him. The gold standard. Dave Barry. Hilarious human humorist. Suddenly Carley Simon was singing the background soundtrack, "He walked in. . .to the party. . . . like he was stepping on board a yacht."

Actually, Dave Barry is one of the most unassuming guys your'd ever want to meet. Still, in a room full of columnists he was a rock star. He was scheduled to address the convention this morning and I told him I'd be there if I wasn't hung over. I was and I didn't. But we had a great time catching up. Dave and I go way back. He was a reporter with the West Chester Daily Local News when I started as a suburban reporter covering Chester County at the Inquirer in 1972. Two years later at the age of 24 I was writing a daily column in the metro section of the Inky, a column called The Scene, which I continued to write for the next 20 years. Frankly, it was pretty flattering to hear Dave Barry decribed me as "my hero" to other newspaper columnists, most of whom had never heard of Clark DeLeon.

Anyway, that's a pal shot of Dave and me at the reception for the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. My suggested caption for that photo is:
"Not Just Gay,
Gay Americans."