I’m sitting at Costco…finally replacing my spare tire from the flat I got several weeks ago. I didn’t think my personal life could get any more interesting (cough, cough), but little did I know I would run into an old flame here at the Tire Center.
Meet Mr. Bib. Oh, you may know him as the Michelin Man. But his name is actually Mr. Bib. He let me call him Bibs and sometimes — when we were feeling really cutesy — Bibsy.
Okay…enough of the imaginary relationship with a brand mascot. Yes, I really did have a crush on Mr. Bib a few years ago. Back in my consulting days, Michelin was a client of mine, and after looking at all the images of dear Bibsy in various situations — playing soccer, wearing overalls, advocating a kinder, gentler nation — I fell pretty hard.
I mean, he’s always smiling. He’s kind-hearted. He’s got nice, manly hands. And he’s concerned about my safety when I’m out driving in my car. What’s not to like??
My infatuation did eventually come to an end. Things are better this way. I could run into Mr. Bib here this evening and smile, with that silent nod that says “I still think you’re cute — but I’ve moved on.”
Okay…so maybe my boredom got the best of me tonight. How else can I explain the fact that I’ve just written an entire blog post confessing my love for the Michelin Man…and typed the entire thing with my thumbs on my Treo?
Sigh.
I live in Atlanta, Georgia, and work as a 
Interesting! Have you read William Gibson’s novel “Pattern Recognition”? The protagonist, with whom it seems you otherwise have a lot in common, is has a *severe* aversion to Bibendum.
Just checking back in. Sorry about the extra ‘is.’
Hey, John — no problem about the extra “is”.
No, I haven’t read that novel. Do you recommend it? I read the reviews on Amazon and it looks like a good read. I’m going to add it to my list!
I wholeheartedly recommend it, with the reservation that the last twenty-or-so pages may be a big letdown. I think that (Bibendum excepted) you’ll probably really identify with Cayce (the protag). It would be a great beach read if you’re going away for Labor Day. Fantastic for about 200 pages, then (like what happens with so many movies) you’ll probably feel a little cheated at the end.
Glad to have discovered you via Metblogs, look forward to keeping up with you in the future. If you do end up reading the book, I’d love to hear what you think about it.
John
Cool — thanks again for the recommendation! I’m not sure when I’ll get to it, but I’ll let you know what I think when I do.