It was magical. Those two seconds of eye contact told me that he genuinely cared about me as a person.
I don't believe he gives a shit, but wow that charisma.
Here's Gillian Anderson (X-Files):
> She recalled meeting former President Bill Clinton back on his campaign trail in 1992 during a chat. She found herself attending a luncheon with the prez-to-be 30 years ago. Anderson remembered being so awestruck by Clinton, that she wanted him to phone her afterwards. “He did the most miraculous thing in the world, he shakes your hand, then he grabs your elbow and at the same time he holds your arm further up.”
> The “X-Files” actress went on, “[It was a] slightly intimate little thing. [He] makes eye contact. And he moves on to the next person. Then he looks back at you.”
> Anderson then described that their meetup was a thing that the politician did to everyone that he comes across. However, she still expected a phone call from him afterwards. “I went home, I thought – this was in the days of answering machines – I literally thought that I was going to go home to a message from him,” she added. “I did. It was that real.”
AFAIK that was rather characteristic of Einstein. To quote from Mason Currey's "Daily Rituals: How Artists Work" (found on https://selbstwehr.com/2017/01/31/einsteins-daily-routine/):
> Einstein immigrated to the United States in 1933, where he held a professorship at Princeton University until his retirement in 1945. His routine there was simple. Between 9:00 and 10:00 A.M. he ate breakfast and perused the daily papers. At about 10:30 he left for his Princeton office, walking when the weather was nice; otherwise, a station wagon from the university would pick him up. He worked until 1:00, then returned home for a 1:30 lunch, a nap, and a cup of tea. The rest of the afternoon was spent at home, continuing his work, seeing visitors, and dealing with the correspondence that his secretary had sorted earlier in the day. Supper was at 6:30, followed by more work and more letters.
> Despite his humble lifestyle, Einstein was a celebrity in Princeton, famous not only for his scientific accomplishments but also for his absentmindedness and disheveled appearance. (Einstein wore his hair long to avoid visits to the barber and eschewed socks and suspenders, which he considered unnecessary.) Walking to and from work, he was often waylaid by locals who wanted to meet the great physicist. A colleague remembered, ‘Einstein would pose with the waylayer’s wife, children, or grandchildren as desired and exchange a few good-humored words.
I've heard his charisma is palpable from several friends and acquaintances who have met him over the years. People notice when he walks in the room.