Catching up with the magazine People

It was exactly four years ago that I was in People magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" issue. Since then, my life has changed dramatically. I got an agent. I started doing speaking engagements. I wrote two books. I became a pathological liar.

It's been one heck of a ride.

But even though the accolades and spoils that came with the honor were completely amazing, I can honestly say that none of it, not for one instant, changed who I was as a perso ... Hang on a second. (Yelling at assistant) "What part of triple latte mochaccino didn't you understand? Huh? Oh. I'm sorry. Do you not speak English?!"

Sorry about that. My mom always finds a way to screw up the easiest tasks.

So, anyway. What was I saying? Right. My abs. Yeah, they're pretty amazing. People are always asking me if they can touch them or wash their clothes on them. It's kinda awkward. But hey, like I've always said, "Sometimes you just have to humor the common folk."

Now, even though I didn't let superstardom change who I was, I'd be lying if I said being in People magazine wasn't a blessing. To think that the editors thought highly enough of me to put me alongside the likes of George Clooney and Justin Timberlake just blows my mind. OK, so those guys were actually in the front of the magazine with the real bachelors and I was jammed in the back in a section titled, "They really, REALLY need a woman," still, they put me in there, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Because the whole thing was such a life-changing experience for me, I thought it would be fun to track down the four other guys from that same section to see how things changed for them. Sure, not all of them enjoyed the highs I did -- thanks to my appearance I got literally dozens of e-mails from moms who said I would be perfect for their daughters if they were actually attracted to me -- but they all seem to have parlayed their 15 minutes into a better and more exciting life.

First there was Kevin. Kevin was an IT guy who created a website allowing visitors to pick out what he would wear to work each day. Just like me, Kevin was what the ladies referred to as "a real winner." But after the magazine came out, Kevin got offers from people all over the world wanting him to design their websites -- and for big money. Not long after, he met a woman and got married. He now lives in New York City.

Then there was Skyler, the youngest of the guys in the section. The then-20-year-old spent nearly two days straight (during his spring break) in a Nebraska Walmart. Yep, that's right. He slept there, ate there, shopped online at Target, the whole nine yards. Because I couldn't get in touch with Skyler, I can only speculate that he fell in love with one of the greeters there and they now have a bunch of smiley faced kids who are obsessed with low prices.

Next I caught up with Tim. Tim, along with two of his buddies, turned their shared Virginia home into a geek pad, complete with a video light show karaoke machine, bank of arcade games and a headline ticker scrolling across the wall. Against all odds, he landed a woman and is now engaged.

Finally there was Johnny. Johnny's claim to fame was he was an undergrad student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for 12 years. Yeah. 12 years. That even makes me look like an overachiever. Anyway, after appearing in the magazine (I think the fact that he was the only one of us who was actually good looking had a lot to do with this) he ended up going on "The Late Show With David Letterman" as well as "Good Morning America." He parlayed those appearances into an acting career and now lives in Hollywood. He's still single, ladies. Not sure whether he has a college diploma though.

Anyway, as for me, well, my fame not only benefitted me, it also turned out to be a good thing for my employer, too. To quote my colleague, Brian Hicks, "Put it this way: How many newspapers can say they've got one of the country's most eligible bachelors working for minimum wage?"

As a way of saying thank you for all the good publicity, The Post and Courier ended up hiring the woman I eventually would marry. Lucky for me, her desk was 20 feet away from mine. Which, let's be honest, was the only way I was ever going to really, REALLY meet a woman.

Bryce Donovan now writes about his poor wife every Monday in the Family Life section. Reach him at 937-5938 or bdonovan@postandcourier.com. And for even more Bryce, check out his blog "The Bryce is Write" or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/brycedonovan.