She is a media favourite and anything she does — whether negative or positive — has always made news. When I got involved in hosting a party for Paris Hilton, I had no pre-conceived notions about her. In the world we live in, we are surrounded by all kinds of celebrities — film and television stars,
sportsmen, designers and social celebrities. A celebrity may be positively or negatively perceived, basically anyone that makes news — be it his or her achievements, scandals or sometimes merely the way they look. However, true class is seen in the way a person handles the attention.
When I first met her, I was struck not by her status, but instead, by her warmth. She had no attitude at all. When we went down, she met some of my friends who were on their way out. She greeted each one of them with a hug and then much to their surprise, asked them to pose for a picture. Courtesy towards your host comes predominantly from one’s upbringing or otherwise from the lessons one learns along the way.
When on the red carpet, she unflinchingly spoke of her gratitude to Rocky S. and me for the dress and earrings respectively designed by us for her to wear at the party. Reaching inside, she spent moments with all my friends, and more than made up for her late arrival. She even posed for the phone camera photographs with my friends. In fact, some of the party guests were not my acquaintances, as the committee had invited them, nevertheless, she showed no signs of exasperation or annoyance.
She even got on the console with DJ Bosco and took over, spreading her warmth across the room. She kept thanking me unabashedly for the party, and I could see the guests falling in love with the person they had
come to meet. After all, how many times do you really meet and talk to the guest of honour in a 100-plus noisy and dimly-lit party? “How do you do it?” I asked
Paris, knowing that many with half her fame
would burst a blood vessel by now. “They are all so happy, why would I want to turn them away?” she said happily.
I watched her as she continued obliging the thronging crowd. She signed autographs without hesitating. Despite the loud music, her mind remained sharp and focused while talking to people. “Patience is a virtue, and she had the patience of the Dalai Lama,” I thought to myself. I noted that even people, who were usually shy or had an issue asking for a picture, circled her. She met everyone alike. “Everyone is the same and deserves respect no matter what, after all, they are your friends,” she said to me.
Later, we went up to her room and I mentioned that my daughter loved her. Despite it being so late and us being exhausted, she scrambled through her things and found a Paris Hilton perfume, autographed it for my daughter, all the while asking me questions with interest about my daughter.
Paris no doubt is a big brand and has all kinds of stories attached to her persona. However, her positivity and exuberance towards life is palpable and knows no bounds. I could find no reason as to why some people would have unkind things to say about her, but I sure understood why a lot of people adore her and are bedazzled by her. I learnt a lot from her that night.